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Published:
2020-09-08
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2023-07-19
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15/15
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Summary:

"Things you want to do, things you want to buy, things you want to eat, places you want to be, what you want to be, write it all down for me."

Miyeon, a member of a popular idol group accidentally meets a pretty stranger after a literal fall and she can't get the stranger off her mind.

''Will I see you again?''

"If you're around here often, then maybe you will.''

Notes:

Back with more Mishu because there's never enough Mishu. Lyrics based on Cart by Hangzoo ft. our very own Cho Miyeon

At first, I was inspired by the TJ vlive where Miyeon said something like ''Shuhua always makes me buy her things'' and I was like damn. What if I write about rich Miyeon?

So here we are. To be very honest, I don't really have a full idea on where this is going. I'm still thinking of what's gonna happen and how this is going to end but I hope to keep it at a multi-shot-ishhhhh length and I hope to not take too long to complete it. At the same time tho, I don't really wanna rush it >.> Ugh we'll see alright? 

It's my first time writing something that ISN'T a oneshot so I hope you'll like it. Meanwhile, you guys can check out my other Mishu fic which is a oneshot called 'Drunk' I think. 

Uhmmm enjoy I guess

Comments would be greatly appreciated because...idk man I have fun knowing whatcha guys think and stuff haha.

Chapter 1: Falling

Chapter Text

It was a sunny day out in Seoul. The temperature was perfect for a nice stroll through the streets of the always bustling Hongdae.

The girls of IDLE, a four-member girl group, just wrapped up promotions for their latest album - 'I Trust' - and are allowed to take a two-week break for successfully promoting the album.

''Good job girls, take the next two weeks to relax and have fun. Soyeon, that goes for you too. I don't want to see you cooped up in the studio.''

That's how Miyeon, the main vocal of IDLE, ended up walking through Hongdae on this lovely Wednesday afternoon. She was donned in a simple outfit - an oversized plain white tee and denim shorts. To prevent herself from being recognised, a baseball cap sat snugly on the top of her head and a mask was pulled up to her nose, covering most of her beautiful features. Don't get her wrong, she loves her fans. But right now, she just wants to be able to head out and enjoy some time alone without being hounded by sasaeng fans or the paparazzi.

Everything was going well, she shopped (online shopping was too complicated for her), ate a bunch of street food, didn't get recognised (for now).

Miyeon was so happy that she walked with a skip in her steps, there was nothing that could stop her from enjoying the Ben & Jerry's ice cream cone in her hand and her long-deserved break...

...Nothing except her own clumsiness.

While Miyeon was happily skipping about, her foot decided that it was a great time to be dumb and got caught on a piece of gravel.

''Holy shi-"

Instinctively, the idol tried to cushion her fall by sticking her hands out but the resulting fall was inevitable and Miyeon knew that it was definitely going to hurt. And she was right. She yelped in pain as she ungracefully landed knees and hands first on the uneven gravel.

''Oh my god, are you okay?''

A hand on her back, and another softly grasped her shoulder.

Miyeon looked up and suddenly, she couldn't feel the stinging pain on her knees and hand anymore.

Damn, she's pretty.

Chapter 2: Crocodile

Chapter Text

Pretty was an understatement. The stranger was absolutely stunning. With skin as pale as snow and ebony locks cascading down her shoulders. She was dressed casually in just a simple green t-shirt and a pair of sweatpants.

''Hey, can you stand? Let me help you.''

The strangers words cut through the singer's thoughts as she bent down to support Miyeon.

She even sounds cute.

''I think so, thank you.''

With the help of the pretty stranger, Miyeon limped over to a nearby bench.

Once Miyeon was properly seated, the stranger crouched down to examine the extent of her injuries.

Dark maroon was oozing out of the several cuts on her knees caused by the rough gravel.

Gently, the stranger took Miyeon's hands and turned it, palm upwards, to find that they was also in the same state as the singer's knees.

"Pretty rough fall, I'll clean it for you. Gimme a second"

Rummaging through her backpack, the pretty stranger pulled out a small first-aid kit.

"You carry that with you all the time? Oh...and thanks."

"Haha yea, my best friend is really clumsy. Whenever we meet, she somehow always has a new cut or bruise somewhere from tripping on nothing or walking into stuff. It's as if she's tryna get a new record for the most number of injuries in a week or something. So I just keep this on me all the time now to tend to that idiot whenever."

Opening the first-aid kit, the pretty stranger took out a bottle of ointment and bandaids. Gently, she cleaned the wounds on Miyeon's knees expertly.

The singer took this time to observe the pretty stranger. The way her large doe eyes were focused on her task and how she would furrow her brow while she focused.

So damn cute.

"This will sting alright? Tell me if you need me to stop."

And yes, it did sting like hell. The singer flinched and had to bite her lip to keep herself from screaming out in pain.

"A little bit more....there you go! I'm pretty good at this right?" grinned the pretty stranger.

Cute crocodile bandaids were placed on her injured spots.

"Here are some extra bandaids. Keep them on you just in-case they fall out or something." the pretty stranger said while handing Miyeon a couple more crocodile bandaids.

"Thank you."

"No problem! Do you need me to walk you somewhere?"

"It's alright, I'll call someone to pick me up. Thanks for offering."

"Okay, I'll get going then. Please be more careful in the future."

"Haha uhm I will try!" Miyeon rubbed the back of her neck shyly.

A small smile was thrown her way as the pretty stranger stood up and gathered her things.

"Bye!"

Waved the pretty stranger as she turned.

Miyeon didn't know what went through her mind. She wasn't thinking when she unconsciously reached out to grab the leaving figure's hand.

The pretty stranger spun around.

"Is there something else you need?"

"Oh sorry...I just...uhm..." the singer was unable to form a coherent sentence due to her nervousness.

What's wrong with me?

The pretty stranger stared patiently at Miyeon with an amused expression.

Taking a deep breath, Miyeon gathered her thoughts.

"Will I see you again?"

"If you're around here often, then maybe you will.''

''I'm Yeh Shuhua by the way."

"Cho Miyeon."

Shit I just revealed myself. Will she recognise me?

"Nice to meet you Miyeon-ssi. I'm going to be late for work so I gotta go before I get yelled at. I'll see you around!" said Shuhua after she took a quick glance at her watch.

With a cute wave, Shuhua spun around and took off in a small sprint.

Guess she doesn't know me and yet she still went out of her way to help me. She's so kind.

The singer traced the crocodile bandaid on her knee softly with a tiny smile.

Yeh Shuhua. I want to see you again.

Chapter 3: Just Coffee

Chapter Text

"Ya Miyeon ah! Why are you so clumsy?! Seriously, we can't leave you alone for one day without you somehow hurting yourself." chided the Thai as she helped Miyeon to the group's van.

After the whole ordeal (and staring into nothing while thinking of the pretty stranger who she now knows is called Yeh Shuhua), the singer called her fellow member, Minnie, for help.

Hearing that Miyeon has hurt herself (again), the Thai asked their manager to come along so that he could drive them back to the dorms.

During the drive back, Miyeon had a grin plastered on her face as she stared into nothing.

Out of nowhere, a pillow hit her in the face which snapped her out from her daydream.

"The heck?! What was that for? Can't you see that I'm already injured?", pouted the singer who grabbed the pillow and hugged it tightly.

"You had a stupid smile on your face and it was creepy as hell. And not to mention, your face was annoying."

The Thai then spotted the bandaids plastered on the Korean beauty's knees and hands.

"Didn't know you carried cute bandaids with you. Someone gave them to you?"

"I'll tell you about it when we reach the dorms."

----------

 

"I think I met an angel today."

And that was how Miyeon spent the next 20 minutes blabbering on and on about an angel known as Yeh Shuhua to the rest of the members who were (forcefully) seated on the couch.

"She was so pretty and kind and her smile was gorgeous. Oh did I mention she was pretty? When she cleaned my wounds I couldn't help but stare at her. By the way, her eyelashes are really long too."

Soyeon, Minnie and Soojin just sat on the couch while Miyeon was gushing over her saviour and gesturing animatedly.

"Okay so basically your dumbass tripped over nothing and this random pretty girl helped you up." deadpanned Minnie.

"SHE'S NOT JUST A RANDOM PRETTY GIRL. HER NAME IS SHUHUA AND SHE'S AN ANGEL!"

''Did she know who you were?''

''No actually...I even told her my name. Maybe we aren't that popular...we need to work harder. Oh my god, or maybe I look different and bad without makeup!'' cried the vocalist as she grabbed her own face.

''Oh please, anyone can tell that you're pretty. She probably just didn't know who you were.'' spoke Soojin

"Right. So uhm...can we go now? We've been sitting here for almost half an hour."

"Ugh fine whatever. Just ditch me like you always do! No one ever listens to me here!" Miyeon cried and flapped her arms dramatically while she half-stomped and half-limped back to her room.

''Uhm Miyeon unnie do you need help?'' the leader/maknae Soyeon offered.

''Leave me alone!''

Glancing at each other, the members in the living room just shrugged.

----------

Despite doing nothing but laying in bed, time seemed to fly by for Miyeon. Reaching into her pocket, the singer pulled out one of the crocodile bandaids given to her by her angel. She held it up towards her ceiling and stared at the cute crocodile patterns.

''For some reason, I can't seem to stop thinking of you.''

----------

Yeh Shuhua was currently sprinting towards her workplace which was a humble coffee shop located at a quieter corner in Hongdae.

''Shit shit shit!'' muttered the Taiwanese under her breath while she squeezed through the crowds in the street.

When she arrived at the quaint coffee shop, she pushed open the doors dramatically while panting.

''I made it!''

''Yes, you made it 10 minutes late.'' quipped Chorong who gave Shuhua a soft knock on the head as she walked past her carrying a tray of coffee.

Chorong was the owner of the coffee shop and despite being only 28 years old, she's managed to grow her business quite well - having various positive reviews from food bloggers and a sizeable circle of regulars. Shuhua really liked her boss because she treated her really kindly like a younger sister.

''I'm sorry unnie. I was held up because I was helping someone who fell down.'' pouted the Taiwanese who equipped her puppy dog eyes.

It's super effective!

''Alright alright, our Shuhua is such a nice girl. Don't worry and go get changed.'' Chorong cooed and gave Shuhua a small pat on the head.

''Yes unnie!" the Taiwanese saluted playfully before she turned towards to restroom to change into her uniform.

Yeh Shuhua was currently a student at the nearby University. She moved to Korea 8 months ago for university because she wanted to experience something new. And also, in Shuhua's terms, she did it ''just because''. Her parents helped her by funding her education so Shuhua felt that the least she could do was try to earn some money for her own day-to-day expenses. Luckily, she found a job at Chorong's coffee shop. The pay was decent and the people she worked with were all nice. Chorong would even let Shuhua do her own revising for school during her shift if the coffee shop wasn't busy. All in all, she's doing alright.

It was half past three and business at the cafe was pretty quiet. Shuhua was taking a short break at one of the tables when suddenly she was rudely disturbed by a loud voice entering the cafe.

''Hello Chorong unnie! Shuhua!"

"Hi Yuqi!" waved Chorong from the counter.

''Ugh Yuqi ah you don't need to shout.''

''Oops. Anyway, whatcha been up to? I just ended class so I'm here to chill''

''Well...there was something that happened before work.''

The Taiwanese launched into an explanation of the events that occurred with a Miyeon.

''Well, who does she look like?''

''I don't really know...she was wearing a mask.''

''Pfft, she you could barely see half her face and you say she's pretty?'' Yuqi rolled her eyes.

''Look, I just know she is. There was this...pretty vibe y'know. Her eyes are really gorgeous.''

"Right...do you know her name?"

"Yea. She said it was Cho Miyeon."

"Oh? She's probably pretty then. There's an idol from a girl group called who's Cho Miyeon too. She's super pretty, like a goddess."

"Maybe all Cho Miyeons are pretty then." shrugged Shuhua.

Their conversation was interrupted by the ringing bells of the cafe door, which signalled the entry of a customer.

"Talk to ya later Yuqi." Shuhua said before she got up to tend to the customer.

Will I see you again?

----------

The following days were not very eventful for Miyeon. Mostly, her days were spent lazing about in her room or sleeping since it was her hobby and she's also still slightly injured.

But ever so often, her thoughts would drift back to a certain Yeh Shuhua.

"Will I see you again"

Aish, what the hell kind of cheesy line was that.

Miyeon slammed her face into her pillow and groaned internally. Maybe she should just suffocate.

"If you're around here often, then maybe you will."

Hmm....well I am on break right now and I kinda wanna grab a cup of coffee. Yes. I'm gonna go to Hongdae for coffee. Just coffee.

With this, the singer put on her mask, grabbed her bag and baseball cap, and proceeded to flag for a taxi.

"To Hongdae please."

----------

She dropped off at an area nearby her fall that day.

What am I doing really? Am I supposed to hope that I just randomly run into her?

The singer sighed and started walking around aimlessly. A random girl who she knows nothing about (except her name) has been on her mind and she doesn't even know why. And now, she's somehow at Hongdae, walking around randomly without any destination in mind.

I must be out of my mind. What am I even doing here.

The singer kicked at a pebble on the road with a sigh.

Miyeon shook her head, internally laughing at her own absurdness.

Since I'm here, might as well get coffee like I said I would. Because that's totally the reason why I came out here.

Looking around, Miyeon spotted a cafe named "Une Année". The exterior of the cafe looked interesting, hence, she decided to go in. It was nearby anyway.

Ring!

The singer pushed open the doors to the cafe and she was immediately greeted by the robust aroma of freshly ground coffee beans.

The cafe was decorated simply with wooden furniture and warm lights which gave off a very comfortable vibe.

"Shuhua ya! There's a customer."

"Coming!"

...Shuhua?

Did I hear that right?

The singer turned so fast she thought she was getting a whiplash.

There she was, looking so damn pretty while simply standing at the counter.

Miyeon felt her heartbeat quicken.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

Nervously, she approached the counter with her head down.

"Hi, what can I get for you today?"

Miyeon looked up slowly and tilted her cap up.

"Hey, we meet again. Do you remember me?"

Chapter 4: Angel

Chapter Text

Shuhua was stunned for a moment. The clumsy pretty girl who occupied her thoughts every so often was right infront if her at the moment.

"H-hey."

The Taiwanese cleared her throat.

"Of course I remember you, Miyeon ssi. Hope you're feeling better."

The singer's grin was hidden behind her mask. But with the way her eyes turned into little crescent moons, Shuhua could tell that the girl was happy that she remembered her.

"I'm feeling better", Miyeon flashed a thumbs up.

"What a coincidence, I didn't know you worked here. Uhm I mean of course I wouldn't know, that would be reallyyyy creepy." rambled the singer.

A soft melodious giggle filled the singer's ear.

"Sorry, I'm rambling. It's just that...I'm really glad to see you again. I haven't thanked you properly yet." the singer rubbed the back of her neck shyly with a blush covering her cheeks.

"Don't worry about it. I couldn't just leave a pretty girl hurt on the ground."

Thump.

"So, what would you like?"

"Just an iced americano will do. I'll have it here."

"Alright, why not you take a seat. The cafe's pretty empty right now. I'll bring it to you."

The singer nodded and proceeded to pay for her drink. She then made her way to a quiet corner of the cafe, away from the windows and took a seat.

Placing her chin on the palm of her hand, the singer observed Shuhua who was moving about and preparing her coffee.

Pretty.

The Taiwanese was waiting for her shot of espresso from the coffee machine when Chorong popped out behind her.

"Hey Shuhua. I overheard your conversation. That's the girl you helped that day right?" whispered Chorong.

The barista nodded.

"Why not you go talk to her?"

"N-now? But I'm working."

Chorong waved her off.

"I'm the boss, it's fine. Anyway, I know you've been gushing about her to Yuqi." teased the older woman.

"I did not! I was just...curious about her." Shuhua crossed her arm and pouted.

"Well, now's your chance! Go go go. Don't worry, I can handle the cafe for now." her boss winked.

Shuhua groaned in annoyance.

"Fine!" she hissed as she grabbed a tray and placed the iced americano on it.

The Taiwanese walked towards the singer, ignoring the snicker coming from her boss.

"Hey, here's you coffee!"

"Thanks."

"Uhm, so...I actually have some free time right now. Do you wanna talk?" Shuhua asked sheepishly.

"Really? I'd love to!"

The singer then proceeded to take off her mask and cap; combing her fingers through her luscious brown locks to tidy up.

Miyeon looked directly into Shuhua's eyes with a megawatt smile.

And for the first time, Shuhua had a good look at the singer's face.

Damn. I knew she was fucking pretty.

----------

Despite being the first time having a proper conversation with each other, it was comfortable.

Miyeon found out that Shuhua younger than her by 3 years and she was a university student who works part time at Une Année. She also found out that Shuhua was Taiwanese (Miyeon thinks her accent is adorable) and lives at a nearby apartment complex with her best friend.

"Miyeon ssi, what about you? What do you do?"

"Unnie. You can call me that, don't be so formal. You saved me afterall, Ms Angel." grinned the singer.

Shuhua blushed at the cheesy nickname.

"Okay, Miyeon unnie, so what do you do?" the Taiwanese emphasised cheekily.

"Well, I like to sing."

Shuhua's mouth shaped into a small 'o'.

"That's so cool. I'd love to hear you sing."

"Hmm...if you'd like, I can invite you to one of our performances next time. How's that?"

The Taiwanese nodded her head excitedly and Miyeon couldn't help but to smile at the sight.

"Alright, I'll make sure to let you know."

Their conversation was interrupted by the ringing of Miyeon's phone. The singer frowned apologetically as she picked up the call.

"Hello unnie? I'm at Hongdae. Nothing, just grabbing a cup of coffee. Oh...now? Okay I'll be there."

The singer sighed once she hung up the call.

"Hey Shuhua, thanks for chatting with me but I gotta go now. I'll see you soon alright?" Miyeon said while putting on her cap.

Shuhua would be lying if she said she wasn't slightly disappointed.

"Sure, bye unnie, see you soon!"

Both girls waved at each other as they bid their farewells.

Ring!

The ringing of the bell again signaled Miyeon's exit.

"Wow, you were right, she is pretty." chirped Chorong who appeared behind her out of nowhere.

"Oh my god unnie don't do that! You scared the crap out of me!"

Her boss simply shrugged and went back to the counter.

"Y'know, she kinda looks familiar somehow." Chorong thought out loud with a finger on her chin.

----------

"Oooo so she invited you to her performance? Do you have her number then?" Yuqi asked excitedly.

"Yes and no. But she did say 'see you again' before she left."

The Taiwanese and her best friend were lazing about in their shared apartment while Shuhua recalled the events that happened with Miyeon.

"I wanna be friends with a pretty girl who sings too. Where does she sing though? Is she in a university band or something?"

"I'm not too sure actually. We couldn't talk for long because she had to go somewhere urgently."

"Hope your girl doesn't ghost you." teased Yuqi.

"Ugh we're just friends. Now stop bothering me." Shuhua rolled her eyes.

---------

"Take the next two weeks to relax and have fun." Miyeon mimicked what the CEO had told them previously in a childish tone.

"Then why am I here in the company right now?" the singer muttered under her breath to no one in particular.

The IDLE members' two-week break was cut short by a week because of a sudden recording schedule.

Usually, Miyeon wouldn't really be upset about this because she doesn't have much to do during breaks. She didn't go out much nor did she have many things she wanted to do.

But now, this schedule is preventing her from visiting a certain Taiwanese and the truth was that she was slightly irritated about it.

"Tell me about it, I wanted to visit my parents." grumbled Minnie who flopped onto the couch.

Their manager peeked her head into the room they were in.

"Good job girls, you're free to go now."

Miyeon jumped to her feet.

"What are you guys gonna do now?"

"Soojin and I are gonna watch a movie. Y'all wanna join us?", the Thai asked.

Soyeon shook her head, "Nah, I'm working on a new track. I'll probably head to the studio."

Miyeon frowned in concern, "Soyeon, aren't you supposed to be on break right now? Don't work yourself too hard."

"Don't worry about me, I have nothing better to do and I can't sleep well if I don't figure out the melody to this song."

"Alright, make sure you rest enough too." the eldest said while she patted the leader's head gently.

Soyeon nodded appreciatively at Miyeon. Despite being the leader of the group, she's still the maknae at heart. Hence, being babied once in awhile did feel nice.

"What about you Miyeon unnie? Where are you going?"

The eldest took a glance at the time on her phone.

"Coffee. I'm going to get coffee."

----------

It's been a couple of days since Shuhua has seen a certain clumsy unnie. And a paranoid part of her is starting to think that she had been ghosted.

"Geez calm down Shuhua, it's only been like 4 days since then. Maybe she's busy." Yuqi reassured.

Shuhua knows her best friend is right. The worst thing is that she doesn't even know why she's so eager to see Miyeon.

"I am calm!" huffed the Taiwanese.

''Sure you are.'' the Chinese rolled her eyes at the other girl's denial.

"Let's go, class is starting." Shuhua said as she dragged Yuqi into campus by the arm.

----------

 

Ring!

The singer entered the cafe, with her usual 'disguise' (mask and cap) on.

Scanning the cafe, the singer frowned when she wasn't able to spot a certain Taiwanese.

"Hey there, may I help you?"

The source of the gentle high pitched voice came from a lady who she recognised as the one whispering to Shuhua the other day.

"Oh uhm hi, I was just wondering if Shuhua was around?"

"Shuhua isn't working today because she has lessons."

Miyeon's mouth formed an 'o' as she nodded in slight disappointment.

"May I know who you are?"

"Ah sorry, I should have introduced myself. My name's Miyeon. I'm Shuhua's...uhm...friend?"

Miyeon...Miyeon...Miyeon

The gears in Chorong's head were churning at the mention of her name.

Ah it's her!

"Oh I've heard about you. Shuhua is ending her classes soon...in about 15minutes." Chorong said as she checked the time.

"If you want to, you can visit her at her campus. She comes out from the side entrance facing the park. You'll see it easily."

"Is that so? Thank you Miss..."

"Chorong. Park Chorong."

"Thank you Chorong ssi!"

The singer bowed gratefully and speed-walked towards the exit.

"Oh, I'll be back for a proper cup of coffee next time Chorong ssi!" the singer spun around to mention before she left.

What an interesting girl. Yeh Shuhua, you better thank me properly.

Chorong smirked to herself as she went about her normal routine in the cafe.

----------

"Class dismissed."

Finally! This module is so boring I've made a mistake.

That's what she gets for taking "Pain and Suffering" as her elective. In her defence, she forgot to bid for her elective this time round because she overslept and completely forgot about it. Unfortunately, her fate was sealed when she was automatically assigned to this elective that no one wants to take.

The Taiwanese hurriedly gathered her stuff and slung her backpack over her shoulders.

Not that she had many things to do, she just wanted to get home so that she could continue binging her k-dramas. Yuqi still has classes which was why they couldn't leave together.

The Taiwanese was halfway across the university courtyard when she heard her name being called out by a familiar (sweet) voice.

Squinting her eyes, she looked around for the source of the voice. That's when she spotted a familiar masked figure leaning against a street lamp casually while waving in her direction. As usual, the singer had her cap pulled down, covering most of her (pretty) features.

Shuhua was shocked to see Miyeon waiting for her there but she wouldn't say that she didn't like it. It was a pleasant surprise.

Waving back, Shuhua approached the singer under the street lamp.

"Hey."

"Hey you back. What are you doing here, Miyeon unnie?"

"I went to the cafe to see you but you weren't there. Chorong ssi told me you'd be ending class soon, so I thought I could pay you a visit here."

Shuhua nodded understandingly. The clumsy girl came all the way to her university to see her. This thought made her feel slightly giddy.

"Where are you headed? I'll walk with you."

"That's if you don't mind." the singer added shyly.

"Of course not. I was just about to head home. It's this way. Let's go." Shuhua pointed her head in the direction of her apartment.

The two girls strolled side by side in a comfortable silence despite the nervous pounding in the singer's heart.

"Sorry I haven't been around though I said I'll see you soon. I've been pretty busy." the singer apologised.

"It's okay unnie, I understand. Though it's true that I've been wondering if you'd ghosted me after inviting me to watch your performance." Shuhua teased playfully while pouting at Miyeon.

Oh my god my heart.

Miyeon looked away quickly to calm the sudden racing of her heart.

"I'd never do that to a pretty girl. I am a woman of honour." huffed the singer.

Shuhua giggled cutely in response.

Clearing her throat, the singer continued, "Anyway, I want to invite you to this charity event next Saturday evening if you're free. You'll be able to see my group perform."

"Really?! That's great. I'll be there. Oh but can I bring a friend?"

Miyeon frowned under her mask.

Pfft. Who's this friend.

"S-sure you can!"

"Alright! I'm so excited." cheered the younger girl.

The rest of the walk to Shuhua's apartment was filled with jokes and smiles. Both girls fell into a natural stride, exchanging playful jibes at each other as they strolled along the quiet streets.

"Here's me." Shuhua jabbed her thumb towards her apartment building.

"Ah...that's fast."

"Before I forget, may I have your number so I can text you the details for next week?" the singer asked. Luckily, her mask is able to cover her cheeks which are currently heating up.

"Of course!"

The Taiwanese took Miyeon's phone to key in her number.

Contact name. Hmm.

"ShuShu, Clumsy Unnie's Angel''

Shuhua returned the phone to it's owner who took a look at the newly saved contact. The latter scoffed lightly when she saw the contact name.

"Ya, who are you callin clumsy? Someone's bold just because she helped me up once."

"Unnie, you tripped over nothing." deadpanned the Taiwanese bluntly.

"And you called me Angel last time right?" the Taiwanese said with an innocent smile.

The singer, left with nothing to say, attempted to scratch her head awkwardly. Only to realise she had her cap on, which made her look kinda dumb.

Thump! Thump!

So cute.

"Haha, I'll be more careful from now. Go on ahead. I'll see you soon."

"Bye unnie! Thanks for walking with me. See you on Saturday!"

With that, the younger girl left towards her apartment lobby. The singer watched her retreating figure with a smile.

Today wasn't so bad afterall.

Chapter 5: Blow Your Mind

Chapter Text

The main vocal skipped her way into Soyeon's recording studio to look for her beloved leader slash maknae.

"Oh? Miyeon unnie, you're back. Why aren't you resting?" the songwriter took off her headphones when she heard Miyeon enter.

"Why? Can't I check up on my precious maknae?" Miyeon ruffled Soyeon's hair playfully which induced a soft whine from the younger girl.

Despite being known as the "Fake Maknae" of IDLE, Miyeon actually takes really good care of her members. Especially her workaholic leader who she has a soft spot for.

''Here, I bought you your favourite tteokbokki.'' the eldest handed the snack to the maknae who accepted it gratefully.

''How's everything going?''

''So far, not bad. I have a rough idea of the melody of the song. It just needs a little tweaking here and there.'' the maknae answered in between bites.

''Do you need help?''

''Hmm, why not you take a listen and tell me what you think so far.''

The two spent the next forty-five minutes in the studio trying to improve the track that Soyeon was working on. Although the main vocalist was usually a silly dork, she gave feedback and ideas to Soyeon seriously.

Soyeon's tiny fingers danced gracefully across the keyboard, producing beautiful chords that make up the song.

''Ooo. This isn't bad right?''

Miyeon grinned, ''I think it sounds good.''

''Thanks for being here unnie. You seem to be in a good mood today.''

''Wait a minute, didn't you say you went out for coffee? Where's the coffee? You usually take ages to finish a cup.'' Soyeon pointed out.

Oh oops, she was supposed to get coffee.

''Well the thing is...'', Miyeon launched into an explanation of what happened during her supposed coffee run.

''Geez unnie, you're so whipped. I can't wait to meet your girl. You'll introduce us during the charity event right?'' the maknae teased the eldest with a light shove.

''Ya, stop making fun of me! I'm just excited to meet a new friend.'' Miyeon pouted.

----------

Night time came swiftly.

The girls of IDLE were all back in their dorm. The 98-line were huddled together in Soojin's room and chatting after the latter managed to drag the workaholic leader out from the studio. Minnie was knocked out in bed, snoring away after a long day.

The main vocalist? Well, she was currently sprawled out on her bed, clutching her phone tightly. Her finger hovered over the keyboard, typing and deleting her words over and over again.

''Dear Shuhua....'' No that's too formal.

''Hello Shuhua, I am Miyeon...." No that sounds weird.

Miyeon groaned as she tossed her phone on the bed and slammed a pillow over her face. It's just a simple text, why was she contemplating so much?

Get over it Cho Miyeon!

Taking a deep breath to calm her stupid nerves, the singer picked up her phone again and started typing in a message to a certain Taiwanese.

To: ShuShu, Clumsy Unnie's Angel

Hi Shuhua! It's your clumsy unnie here~

I'm glad that we could finally meet again today. Even though it was for a short while, walking with you was fun :>

The charity event on Saturday is at 4pm and will be at Yonsei University. Just let the usher know your name and they should let you and your friend into the event hall.

Goodnight and see you soon!

Send.

Not even three minutes later, Miyeon's phone vibrated with a soft ''Kakao!''.

From: ShuShu, Clumsy Unnie's Angel

Hey Miyeon unnie, I've been waiting for your text ><

Thanks for walking with me, I had fun too. I'll be there on Saturday.

Sleep well! ^.^

The main vocalist smiled to herself as she re-read the text a couple more times. Once she was done, she locked her phone and closed her eyes, letting sleep take her away.

For some reason, she recalled her dream that night smelling of roasted coffee beans and a hint of vanilla.

 

----------

''Yuqi ah, are you ready to go?''

''Yea I'm coming. Geez, you'll see your girl soon. Calm down.'' Yuqi teased and slung her bag over her shoulders.

While counting down to the charity event on Saturday, the Taiwanese and singer continued to exchange text messages with each other. Simple ''good mornings'', their daily TMIs, just small conversations here and there.

The two girls arrived at Yonsei University about an hour and a half early courtesy to Shuhua.

''We need to get the good spots!''

The auditorium was pretty empty at this timing (they were early after all). They were let in after Shuhua gave the usher her name and they managed to find a good seat near the front of the stage.

To: Clumsy Unnie

Miyeon Unnie~

We're already here! I'm so excited to watch your performance. Try to spot me :P

Fighting! >.<

Send.

''Ooohh since we're here, your girl is probably from Yonsei's singing club or something.'' the Chinese said while looking around the auditorium.

''Hmm, maybe you're right. And can you stop calling her that? She's not my girl.'' Shuhua glared at her best friend who simple laughed at her.

The two girls were chatting away happily to pass time when a notification sound from Shuhua's phone interrupted them. The Taiwanese unlocked her phone to see that Miyeon had replied to her previous message.

From: Clumsy Unnie

Wow, you guys are early. I'll work hard and perform well so that I can impress you!

Also, you want me to spot you? Don't worry, that won't be difficult.

I just have to look for the prettiest girl in the auditorium.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

What the...what's with this unnie. Such a sweet talker...

''Ya Shuhua, are you okay? You're really red right now.'' Yuqi asked concernedly as she placed the back of her palm on her best friend's forehead.

''It's nothing! I'm fine, it's just...really hot right now.'' Shuhua locked her screen frantically and shook Yuqi's hand off her forehead.

''Shuhua, you made me give you my jacket just five minutes ago.'' the Chinese raised her perfectly trimmed eyebrow.

''I think the performance is starting.'' Shuhua changed the subject, completely ignoring her best friend's complains telling her to return the jacket if she wasn't cold anymore.

---------

The lights dimmed, and everyone in the auditorium went quiet.

The opening was helmed by the renowned dance crew of Yonsei University. Their impressive choreography and footwork wowed the crowd. But they weren't who Shuhua was impatiently waiting for. There were a couple other performers after the dance crew but she couldn't spot Miyeon.

After a long (and boring) address by the charity event organiser, Shuhua was starting to worry if she'd miss Miyeon. Maybe she didn't see her. Oh no.

"Shuhua, did Miyeon unnie perform yet? Isn't the event kinda ending?"

"I...I don't think so. I didn't see her." Shuhua glanced around anxiously.

Oh my god did my blind ass miss her? I mean...I usually (she means the whole two times) see her with her mask on.

The organiser's voice cuts through the auditorium loudly.

"And now, I'm sure many of you have been waiting for our next and final performers. Take it away!"

''That must be her.'' whispered Yuqi.

Shuhua kept her eyes glued to the stage, anticipating the performance. She could hear various audience members screaming, even before the start of the song.

Unnie's group must be popular in school.

''Latata'', a dreamy voice hushed.

Speakers blared to life, signalling the start of the song and the crowd went wild with cheers. The lights switched on, illuminating the figures of the four ladies on the stage brightly.

There she was, Cho Miyeon, looking so goddamn beautiful dressed in white from head to toe. Her outfit was a simple pair of white jeans and white tank top but she managed to look absolutely stunning. The tank top was cropped, showing off the singer's toned stomach.

The singer was dancing fluidly, fully in control of the stage as she captivated the audience with her gestures and facial expressions. However, the thing that took Shuhua's breath away was the moment the singer opened her mouth to deliver her lines. During this moment, the Taiwanese could hear one thing only and that was the sound of Miyeon's powerful voice. Yuqi's excited yells were drowned out like white noise because all Shuhua could see and hear right now was Miyeon.

I know this song...she's an actual celebrity. Holy shit.

The Taiwanese's mouth was hanging open while she processed this information in shock. It didn't help when at that very moment, she made eye contact with the singer who gave her a sickening smirk that made the butterflies in her stomach flip. Shuhua swallowed the lump in her throat.

Fuck.

The song ended and the screams were even louder now. Latata was a song that even Shuhua (who's still only been listening to mostly Chinese songs) knew. It was no wonder that the song gathered so much energy and cheers from the crowd. The four-member girl group gathered in a line and introduced themselves.

''Hello everyone, we are IDLE!'' the group gestured a cute little ''I'' with their hands.

''Hi, I am the main dancer, Soojin.'' the girl with a pretty mole under her eye said.

''Hello everybody, I'm the main vocal in-charge of dreaminess, Minnie!'' the girl with bangs flashed an eyesmile.

''Hello, I'm the leader and rapper, Soyeon.'' the girl was petite, with striking blonde hair and an aura of charisma surrounded her.

Lastly...

''Hi! I'm the group's power vocal, Miyeon.'' the singer said as scanned the crowd and looked directly at Shuhua with a gigantic shit-eating grin.

So annoying. Shuhua couldn't help but smile back.

''We're so grateful to be invited to such a meaningful event. Please enjoy the rest of our performance!'' the leader spoke.

''The next song is called 'Blow Your Mind'. We hope you like it!'' Miyeon announced sweetly.

Shuhua snorted at the mention of the song title. What a convenient title.

----------

IDLE wrapped up their performance with a cover of ''Light My Body Up'' which blew (no pun intended) Shuhua and Yuqi away. Miyeon would make eye contact with Shuhua every once in awhile during the whole performance which made the latter feel extremely flustered. After the last song, the IDLE members wrapped up their closing-ment and left the stage, thanking the hosts and their fans who Shuhua found out were called 'Neverlands'.

''Ya Shuhua what the heck! Your girl is a friggin idol. A celebrity! Her group sang Latata! Oh my god how could you not know? They're famous!'' her best friend yelled while violently shaking her shoulders.

''Stop it! Miyeon unnie didn't tell me anything! How was I supposed to know?!'' Shuhua shrugged her best friend off. She was in shock too and Yuqi yelling into her ear isn't helping her calm her nerves.

''Kakao!''

Shuhua unlocked her phone to see a message from the singer.

From: Clumsy Unnie

Hey ShuShu! Did you like our performance? :P Come backstage to meet us, I'll come get you and your friend in 10 minutes.

''Let's go, Miyeon unnie will meet us at the back.''

''OH MY GOD WE'RE GONNA MEET CELEBRITIES!''

''Shut up! Keep your voice down, you idiot.'' Shuhua huffed while dragging her best friend along.

----------

Shuhua and Yuqi were waiting near the backstage entrance because the guards wouldn't let them in.

Suddenly, the singer appeared and whispered to the guard who then moved aside to let them in. Miyeon gestured for them to enter. The duo awkwardly entered the backstage area, taking small steps towards the singer.

''Why are you so awkward? Come here.'' the singer said as she pulled the duo into IDLE's waiting room.

Geez Miyeon unnie, maybe it's because oh I don't know...we just found out you're an actual celebrity.

Upon entering the room, three figures turned towards them and approached them. Shuhua recognised them as Miyeon's members.

''Guys, this is Shuhua and...''

''Oh uhm. This is Yuqi, she's my best friend and roommate.'' Shuhua introduced a shy Yuqi who bowed nervously.

Ah! So they are just friends then.

Miyeon thought in relief. Wait, why was she relieved? The singer shook those thoughts away.

''Hi Yuqi! Nice to meet you. I'm Miyeon, she's Minnie, she's Soojin and that's Soyeon. I hope you two had fun just now.'' Miyeon said as she pointed out her fellow members.

''We did, you guys were amazing.'' Yuqi gave a thumbs up and Shuhua nodded in agreement.

''Aww you two are so cute!'' Minnie squealed and pinched their cheeks.

Soyeon rolled her eyes at Minnie's overly friendliness. ''Minnie unnie stop it, you're gonna scare them.''

The Thai muttered an 'Oops! Sorry!' while scratching the side of her head in embarrassment.

After a short exchange, the duo had to be ushered out since IDLE had another schedule to run off to. Miyeon informed that she would be back after walking the duo out to the backstage exit.

The Chinese excused herself first to rush to the restroom.

''I really needa go man. I've been holding it in since midway through the charity event.''

Hence, only the Taiwanese and singer were left facing each other.

The Taiwanese started, ''Unnie...why didn't you tell me?''

''Well, you didn't exactly ask. And...I didn't want you to feel scared or act differently after knowing who I really am. Are you mad? I'm sorry.'' the singer looked away from Shuhua and stared at her feet.

The singer felt a hand softly touch her cheek, tilting her face up to meet a warm pair of eyes.

''I'm not mad. Just a bit surprised that my clumsy unnie is actually such a cool person on stage.''

''You're not mad? That's a good then.'' the singer exhaled a breath of relief.

''Now I know why you're always covering up with masks and caps. Ms. Celebrity needs to hide from the paparazzi and her fans.'' Shuhua mused.

''Thank you for coming today. It means a lot to me.''

''Of course I would come. I promised.''

Such simple words but it made Miyeon feel warm inside.

''I need to go now. I'll see you again alright?''

Shuhua nodded. Both girls bid their farewells to each other before Miyeon started walking back to her waiting room.

The Taiwanese was about to leave too when the singer suddenly spun around and called out to her.

''Oh and Shuhua,''

''I told you I would be able to spot you.''

Miyeon lips curved upwards into a bright smile which caused her dimples to appear. Her eyes disappearing into thin lines from how wide she was smiling.

Shit. This unnie is so fucking adorable.

Chapter 6: Addicted To Your Smiles

Chapter Text

The days after were pretty much the same. School, work, rinse and repeat. However, Shuhua was still feeling shocked at the discovery of Miyeon's true identity. Sure, she probably could have suspected that a pretty 'Cho Miyeon who likes to sing' would be a celebrity (especially after Yuqi mentioned that there was an idol with that name). But really, who would think that they had actually helped an idol who stupidly tripped over nothing and ended up being friends with them?

Yuqi was also freaking out over it still. Shuhua had to threaten to stuff her best friend's mouth with a sock to shut her up about it and keep it a secret.

Like she said, Shuhua wasn't mad at Miyeon for keeping her identity a secret. But it would be a lie to say that she wasn't slightly nervous after finding out. Who wouldn't be? Not when Cho Miyeon was the epitome of beauty and talent. Who was she to be so close to such an existence? She knows she shouldn't think this way, but she couldn't help to have these thoughts.

Shuhua sighed as she put away some cups. She was on her late afternoon shift at the cafe and she was tired after serving a horde of rowdy university students.

Finally, those zombies are gone.

Shuhua rolled her eyes and placed the last cup on the rack, letting out a huff of relief. The cafe was quiet again, allowing the Taiwanese some time to rest at one of the tables. Resting her elbow on the table, she scrolled through her phone idly. She was in the middle of reading through a friend's Instagram post when a notification popped up.

From: Clumsy Unnie

Hey ShuShu~

I just finished practice! What about you? Whatcha up to?

Attached was a photo of Miyeon lying spreadeagle on the ground of the practice room with a towel on her face.

Unknowingly, a smile naturally grew on her face when she read the message.

To: Clumsy Unnie

Unnie~

Save me!!! Today was a busy day...I just served a group of rowdy students and I'm so tired T.T

I'm taking a break for now. I'm probably going to rest once shift ends at 4pm ><

Unnie you look like a starfish in the photo. You should rest too since you practiced so hard!

Send.

Immediately, the Taiwanese received a response that made her freeze up. Her eyes hovered over the short text as she felt her heartbeat quicken.

From: Clumsy Unnie

I'll really come and save you then. Wait for me.

Ahhh what is this unnie talking about. Dummy.

She snapped out of her thoughts when she heard more customers enter the store. Groaning, she thought to herself.

Here we go again.

----------

The Taiwanese was back at the table again for another break. Exhaustion was starting to seep into her system. Her eyes drooped every so often and she had to slap her face to stop herself from rubbing her eyes and going blind. Recently, her annoying professor decided to swarm his students with a bunch of ''compulsory extra reading'' that counts towards their class participation points. What the heck does ''compulsory extra reading'' even mean if it's supposed to be ''extra reading''?! It also didn't help that Chorong had an errand to run and she was left alone for a couple of hours (and during the busiest time too, tough luck) during her shift.

Just for a couple of minutes...

Shuhua shut her eyes and she could feel herself getting lighter, the cafe music slowly tuned out of her mind. Eventually, she blanked out, even missing the ringing of the cafe entrance.

A figure quietly entered the cafe and her eyes scanned the room before landing on the currently half-asleep barista. Taking a seat opposite to the Taiwanese, the figure took the time to admire the barista.

So cute.

After a couple of minutes, she decided that Shuhua needed to be woken up lest she risk getting fired.

A soft poke to the Taiwanese's cheeks.

''Wake up sleepyhead. Somebody's gonna get fired.''

Poke. Poke. Poke.

The Taiwanese was roused from her sleep by the annoying pokes, her eyebrows furrowing in annoyance.

''What the...hec-''

Fired? What is she talking about?

Oh shit! I'm working!

Shuhua's eyes widened in panic and she flew out from her seat. Unfortunately for her, a certain singer was right in front of her and their heads collided with a loud knock.

''Shit!''

''Ow!''

The Taiwanese clutched onto her head in pain and looked up, ''Miyeon unnie?!''.

The latter too, was in pain, rubbing her forehead in soothing circles to ease the aching on her forehead.

''Is your head made of rocks?! That hurt! You're supposed to be the angel here.'' whined the singer.

''Unnie you scared me! You deserved it, I thought I was really gonna get fired. Also, I got hurt too y'know?'' Shuhua crossed her arms and sulked.

''Aww I'm sorry, don't be mad. I bought you juice and some snacks. Forgive me?'' the singer stretched out the stuff she bought towards Shuhua and stared at her with the most innocent look she could pull off.

Shuhua's eyes lit up in delight at the sight of her favourite juice and snacks and Miyeon thought it was the most adorable sight ever.

''Okay unnie! I forgive you since you bought me yummy stuff!'', the Taiwanese cheekily grabbed the stuff from Miyeon.

"So what brings you here today? I didn't expect to see you."

"Hmm? I told you to wait for me right?" the singer tilted her head slightly as she spoke.

"Also..."

"Do I need a reason to see you?", the singer looked directly into Shuhua's eyes.

Flustered, Shuhua looked away immediately to calm the thundering of her heart.

"Unnie....stop being so greasy." blushed Shuhua.

The singer let out a hearty chuckle in response.

"Your shift is ending soon. Can I walk you home today too?"

"You really want to?"

Miyeon nodded.

"Okay, wait for me. We can leave once Chorong unnie is back." said Shuhua softly.

With that, Shuhua went back to work, ensuring that she was ready to handover her shift to Chorong and the next part-timer.

Meanwhile, the singer lifted her cap slightly to get a better look at Shuhua.

Sleepy Shuhua, such an adorable sight.

----------

"Unnie! I'm done, let's go!", Shuhua skipped over to Miyeon excitedly while sipping her juice.

"Okay! Gimme a moment.", the singer headed towards the counter where Chorong was stationed.

"Hi Chorong ssi, I promised I'll get a drink the next time I'm here. Could I have an iced americano please?"

"Miyeon ssi! You don't have to but okay. Please wait a while.", Chorong tapped Miyeon's credit card on the payment terminal.

The drink was made expertly in just a couple of minutes.

"Here you go Miyeon ssi. Please take care of our Shuhua okay?", Chorong whispered the last sentence as she handed Miyeon her drink.

The singer blushed slightly, "Haha of course I will. She's a cute dongsaeng. And please, just Miyeon will do. See you again!".

Shuhua was focused on her phone, unaware of Miyeon returning. Deciding to be an ass, Miyeon quietly tiptoed towards her and pressed her iced americano cup onto the back of Shuhua's neck.

"AHHH!!!" the Taiwanese spun around and smacked Miyeon on the shoulder.

"You idiot unnie!"

The culprit grinned and linked her arms with the victim of her ice attack, dragging her to the exit of the cafe.

"Come on Shuhua, let's go!"

The two left the cafe, one was with a wide smile on her face, and one was grumbling about a certain "pabo unnie".

----------

The duo walked leisurely under the cloudy skies. Arms linked, footsteps in sync, it all felt so natural. They even looked like a normal pair of university students who were hanging out. But of course, that's not the case. Shuhua was currently walking with a famous celebrity. With their arms linked nonetheless!

Just the thought of this brought back the stupid worries plagueing Shuhua's mind again. Her arms started to stiffen awkwardly as her nervousness got to her.

Am I even allowed to be around someone like Miyeon unnie? I know I shouldn't feel this way...Miyeon unnie might be sad.

"Hey, are you alright? You're frowning." the singer asked in concern. She was now back to her usual 'disguise' - cap and mask on.

"Oh yea. Sorry. I'm just thinking of some school work that I havent done."

Miyeon seemed to buy whatever excuse she said and they both continued their quiet stroll through a park that links to Shuhua's apartment.

The Taiwanese smiled to herself when she saw a couple ride past her on their tandem bicycle. She had always liked cycling. Unfortunately, she didn't have a bicycle here in Korea.

"Shuhua, do you like cycling?"

The younger nodded furiously when she turned to Miyeon.

"I love it! I used to cycle all the time when I was in Taiwan. Whether it be with my friends or alone. I love feeling the wind through my hair, it's fun.", Shuhua recalled her memories of Taiwan fondly as she gestured animatedly.

"Oh..but it's been a pretty long time since I've cycled. I don't have a bicycle here in Korea." the younger pouted sadly.

Miyeon frowned.

Sad Shuhua is not allowed to exist.

"Are you too tired to come somewhere with me now? It'll be quick."

"I'm okay unnie. Where are we headed?"

"It's just over here." Miyeon pulled Shuhua to the nearby bicycle sharing station.

"You can't register in the bicycle sharing app because you're a foreigner. I know because Minnie tried to do it once and she threw a big baby tantrum. But I'll help you register an account under my name. Minnie registered hers under Soojin's name."

"Really?! Unnie you're the best! Thank you!" the younger jumped up and down while shaking Miyeon's arm excitedly.

The singer's heart melted at Shuhua's bright energy and innocence.

"This is the least I could do for my Angel." winked the singer.

The younger made a gagging noise, "Unnie don't do that."

The registration was swift. Within a couple of minutes, Shuhua was able to download the bicycle sharing application and login to the account registered under Miyeon's name.

Click!

The bicycle was released from the station.

"Yay! It's been sooooo long. Thank you unnie!" the Taiwanese was bouncing around happily while pushing the bicycle towards the path. If she were a puppy, Miyeon was sure that she would be able to see Shuhua's imaginary tail wagging.

Suddenly, she stopped and turned towards Miyeon with a scrunched face.

"Unnie, what about you then?"

"Don't worry about me, I'll walk behind you. Go have fun, it's been a long time." Miyeon said gently with a soft push, signalling Shuhua to go ahead.

The Taiwanese mounted the bicycle and pedalled off in excitement.

"Woohoo!"

It was exhilirating. She could feel the wind blowing through her hair, she felt free. It was like she was back home again in Taiwan, riding through the park.

Miyeon softened as she watched Shuhua. The way the sunlight bounced off her hair, the curve of her lip. It was all so beautiful.

The singer was spacing out and she didn't even realise that Shuhua has turned around and rode back to her. The Taiwanese circled around the singer and gave her a knock on the head as she rode by.

"Ya!"

"Miyeon unnie pabo! Stop spacing out slowpoke!", Shuhua stuck out her tongue and pedalled away quickly.

"You brat! C'mere!", the singer yelled and chased after Shuhua.

Time seemed to slow down for Miyeon the moment Shuhua turned her head back slightly to look at her. Long luscious black locks twirled gracefully against the wind and Shuhua's eyes curved into two crescent moons. She looked like a character straight from a romantic comic book.

"Unnie! I'm having so much fun!", the Taiwanese yelled ecstatically, smiling genuinely before she sped ahead again.

Miyeon wasn't sure of what's scarier. Was it the sudden pounding of her heart, or the butterflies in her stomach that made her feel nauseous. It has been a long while since she has done any form of exercise. Maybe she isn't used to running. She's not sure.

But one thing she's sure of is that Shuhua's smile is something she wants to protect.

I think I'm addicted to your smiles.

Chapter 7: Must Be The Sun

Chapter Text

Everyday, the Taiwanese would be able to bike to school, all thanks to a certain Cho Miyeon. The only time she wouldn't bike was when she headed to school with Yuqi, like today.

"No wonder you've been on time for Professor Kang's 8am lessons nowadays. You've been biking. No fair!" her best friend accused pointedly.

Shuhua stuck out her tongue teasingly, ''Get your own Miyeon unnie!''.

The Chinese rolled her eyes, ''Ugh, such a showoff.''

''Anyway, does Miyeon unnie pay for you when you use the bike-sharing application?''

This question made Shuhua stop in her tracks abruptly.

''Wait...it's not free?'' questioned the younger girl hesitantly.

Yuqi turned to stare at Shuhua incredulously, ''Are you serious right now? Of course not! Nothing is free in the world dummy. I think they charge by the minute or something.''

''Oh my god, I've been using it so much! Miyeon unnie didn't tell me that it was a paid service.''

''Maybe it's because the amount is peanuts to her.'' Yuqi shrugged.

''Well but still...it doesn't feel right. I'll text her later.''

----------
Shuhua was staring at her notebook while pretending to write about the lecture that her professor was yapping about.

The professor was a balding old man who had a tendency to veer off the actual lecture topic, and talk about irrelevant crap that no one cares about.

Sorry mum and dad. I can't believe you're paying thousands for me to study this crap.

Her professor's string of words went in one ear and came out of the other. She started to absentmindedly doodle whatever came onto her mind in her little notebook.

Iced coffee. Baseball cap. Bicycle. Crocodile.

Suddenly, she stopped and put her pencil down as she stared at her doodles.

It didn't take a genius to connect the dots between what she was drawing. She knew it herself.

What the hell?

The Taiwanese felt her cheeks heat up and she slammed her notebook shut. Slapping her face lightly, she thought to herself.

I must be going crazy.

----------

After what seemed like an eternity of irrelevant storytelling, her professor dismissed the class.

Shuhua whipped out her phone and proceeded to send a text to Miyeon.

To: Clumsy Unnie

Unnie, are you busy today?

Send.

The singer had met Shuhua a couple of times after the whole bicycle sharing fiasco. Some days, she would visit the cafe to sit down and 'chill' (look at Shuhua) for a couple of hours until Shuhua's shift ended to walk her home. She's even brought Minnie and Soojin along sometimes too. There was even a time when Miyeon ran into Yuqi who was studying at the cafe. The loud and extroverted Chinese had no problems pulling the singer to her seat and striking up a conversation.

Recently though, the Taiwanese was unable to see Miyeon as often (as she would have liked) due to the latter's busy schedule.

Kakao! Shuhua's phone notification went off.

From: Clumsy Unnie

Hey Shuhua!

Yea, we've been busy with practice and stuff since our comeback is nearing. Keep this a secret okay? Haha

Anyway, what's up? Miss me?

The Taiwanese froze when her eyes read the last line. The singer was always cheesy and Shuhua thought that it was probably because she was an idol. Hence, being all sweet and cringy towards her fans is something that she was used to doing. It shouldn't surprise or affect her that much, right?

To: Clumsy Unnie

Stop being so greasy. Are you at the company now?

Send.

From: Clumsy Unnie

Haha, I can't help it. You're too cute to not tease.
Yeap, I'm at CUBE. Still having practice. I'm gonna pass out from dancing. Anyway, I gotta get back to practice. I'll try to see you soon since you're dying to see me!

Byebye~

Shuhua scoffed but she couldn't stop the smile that was creeping onto her face.

Let's take a trip somewhere shall we?

----------

"So...I take a turn here and then I should be reaching right abouuuut.....now"

The Taiwanese muttered to herself as she stared at the Google Maps application on her phone with much difficulty, trying her best not to drop her phone. She was holding a plastic bag and her phone in one hand while the other was occupied with a tray of drinks. The liquid swooshed with each step she took, threatening to spill through the loose caps of the cups.

The Taiwanese was about to regret her decision of embarking on this journey when the sight of a building came into her view. It was a grey building that looked pretty ordinary and plain. However, what stood out was a white, black and blue sign with the words "CUBE ENTERTAINMENT".

Finally!

Waddling towards the security post, Shuhua knocked on the glass.

"Hello Sir. Uhm, could you pass these to the IDLE members?"

"No. You're one of those sasaeng fans aren't you? Take these away." the security guard dismissed Shuhua with an uninterested wave.

"Wait! I'm not a sa-sasaeng? Whatever that is. Just tell Miyeon unnie that it's from Shuhua. She knows me. I promise!" pleaded the Taiwanese with puppy eyes.

"And this cup is for you, Sir!" Shuhua pushed a cup of warm coffee into the guard's hand, smiling widely.

The security guard was flustered by the girl's persistance (and cuteness), and he accepted the drink without thinking much.

"Well uhm okay...but if Miyeon says she doesn't know a 'Shuhua', I'm gonna have to get rid of all these." the guard gestured at the tray of coffee and pastries that Shuhua dumped on his table.

"No problem! She'll know. Hope you enjoy your coffee. I'll get going first. Thank you!" the girl said with a bow.

Mission accomplished! My hands are finally free now!

Shuhua skipped back towards the train station.

Wait. Damn it which way was it again?

----------

"Hello Yookyung, does Miyeon know someone called 'Shuhua' or something?''

The security guard paused for a response. He could hear Miyeon's loud ''Yes! Why?'' through the speakers.

''Yes? Could you come down to get something for her? At the security post. Thanks!''

The security hung up the phone.

Huh, she really wasn't a sasaeng fan then.

----------

The IDLE members were currently in their dance practice room, having recently finished a five-hour long practice session. The room smelled of sweat mixed with perfume and the air-conditioner on full blast didn't seem to cool down the heat emitted from their bodies. This was evident by how some of the mirrors in the practice room were fogged up.

Miyeon and Soojin were laying on the ground while Soyeon and Minnie were sitting down against the walls. Everyone was exhausted after the intense lesson and all they wanted to do now was to sleep. Alas, you don't always get what you wish for. They still had a meeting with their manager and CEO about their comeback later.

The maknae scooted over towards Soojin and plopped her head onto the latter's tummy.

''Ya Soyeon ah get off. You're sweaty and I'm sweaty and this is gross.'' complained the dancer as she lightly poked the leader's forehead.

''But I like it here,'' Soyeon whined in her cute tone.

Soojin simply groaned in return but made no move to shake Soyeon off. She even adjusted her position to make the maknae more comfortable.

The door to the practice room was pushed open by their manager who was holding onto the bag of pastries and tray of drinks from Shuhua.

The girls' eyes immediately lit up at the sight of the cold drinks and food.

''Unnie! Is that for us?'' Miyeon asked with hopeful eyes.

''Yea. This is from Miyeon's friend. Here you guys go. You've worked hard.'' Yookyung said as she set the items down on the floor.

Miyeon frowned in confusion.

My friend? I'm a loser though, what friend is Yookyung unnie talking about? I don't really have friends who would do something like this for me other than the members.

The girls flocked towards the food and inspected it. Each drink was accompanied by a short writing on the cup.

''Oh! It's from Shuhua! Look, she wrote 'green tea for Minnie unnie because she hates coffee.' Aww, she remembers!'' exclaimed the Thai who was unwrapping her straw.

''Mine says 'Half shot iced americano for Soojin unnie who likes mild coffee' and she drew a butterfly too.''

Soyeon stirred her coffee and read out her cup, ''We haven't met much but I hope an iced latte suits your taste, Soyeon unnie.''

Miyeon held up her cup with a grin.

''Clumsy unnie, don't slack off! Shushu is cheering for you!''

Narrowing her eyes, Miyeon spotted another string of words at the back of her cup.

'P.S. I don't miss you that much or anything' accompanied by an eye-roll emoji drawing.

The singer couldn't help but let out a soft chuckle at the cute and childish message from the Taiwanese.

''Aww she remembers our orders! She even got us fruit tarts. My heart can't take this cuteness.'' Minnie clutched her heart dramatically.

The maknae nodded in agreement while munching on a mandarin fruit tart, ''She has good tastes. Mandarins are so good. I should visit the cafe with you guys one day too.''

''Yea, she's such a nice girl. Hopefully we can find time and visit the cafe soon.'' Soojin opened her mouth as the maknae fed her a bite of her mandarin tart.

''Told you guys she was an Angel last time didn't I?'' Miyeon smiled triumphantly with an 'I told you so' look on her face.

''Yea yea whatever you say Ms. Cringe.'' the Thai dismissed.

''Help us thank Shuhua alright?'' the dancer spoke.

The eldest gave Soojin a thumbs-up and whipped out her phone.

To: ShuShu, Clumsy Unnie's Angel

ShuShuuuuu you really are an angel! It was so tiring today but the cold drinks and fruit tarts really cheered us up. The members looked so dead just now but now they are stuffing themselves happily. We all thank you so much!

Even if you don't miss me THAT much, I'm reallyyyy starting to miss you now :<
I'll be sure to visit you soon!

Miyeon turned to her members and snapped a photo of them enjoying the gift brought by Shuhua. She also took a selca with her favourite iced americano, making sure to display the 'secret' message left by Shuhua on the back of the cup.

Attach and send.

''IT'S THE LAST FRUIT TART. YOU SNOOZE YOU LOSE MIYEON!'' the Thai cackled while holding the last fruit tart in the air like a trophy.

''KIM MINNIE DON'T YOU DARE. I HAVEN'T EVEN EATEN ONE YET!'' the eldest warned and started to chase Minnie.

''TOO BAD!''

''SHUHUA IS MY ANGEL NOT YOURS! GIVE IT!''

The 98-liners could only sigh as they were used to these antics.

Soyeon leaned her head on the dancer's shoulder, ''Here we go again. Sometimes, I wonder if they really are our unnies.''

Soojin simply shrugged as she snuggled closer to Soyeon, despite complaining about her being sweaty previously. If someone asked, she would argue that the room has cooled down significantly and that the iced americano helped too.

''You're right. But I like it here too.''

--------

The Taiwanese was on the train when she received a text from the singer.

She let out a little giggle at the photo of the members that Miyeon sent. In the photo, Soyeon was munching on a fruit tart and Minnie was derping out with her mouth open, seemingly asking for Soyeon to feed her. Soojin was sipping on her drink cutely.

They are all so cute. No wonder they have so many fans.

Swipe. Next photo.

The Taiwanese eyes lingered on that photo for a tad too long. She was mesmerized by the singer's beauty.

Sharp nose, long eyelashes...snap out of it Shuhua!

She moved on to read the rest of the text and had to bite her lips to stop herself from smiling too hard at her phone.

I knew she would make fun of me for that message. But what is this feeling in my chest?

Must be from walking under the sun just now.

Shuhua nodded to herself.

Chapter 8: The Shuhua Cube

Chapter Text

Over the next couple of weeks, it wasn't uncommon for Shuhua to drop by CUBE Entertainment to pass IDLE some drinks and even to have small talk with the security guard, Mr Kim.

He was an Ahjussi, around the age of her own father and he was always nice to her as well as the IDLE members.

This time, the Taiwanese was caught before she could drop off her treats to IDLE.

Miyeon pleaded with Mr Kim to allow her to sneak Shuhua into the company. Hands clasped, big round eyes, finished off with a pout that would melt the hearts of any villian from a Batman movie. Mr Kim just shut his eyes and waved them off, "I didn't see anyone enter at 2pm."

A warm cup of coffee landed on his table before the Taiwainese was dragged away by the singer into the building.

"See you later Mr Kim!" whispered (she tried, she's naturally loud) Shuhua with a tiny wave.

Mr Kim shook his head but didn't hide the small smile the crept onto his face.

"These charming kids are gonna get me in trouble one day."

----------

"Unnie, are you sure I'm allowed to be here?" asked the younger with shifty eyes.

The duo passed by various practice rooms. The nauseating smell of perfume mixed with sweat wafted through the air which made Shuhua dizzy. Loud music and synchronised footsteps could be heard from the rooms.

So this is where Miyeon unnie practices.

"Let's go to my practice room. It's on the 8th floor."

The singer dragged the younger towards the stairwell.

"Wait unnie noooo I hate stairs!"

----------

By the time they've reached the 8th floor, the duo were panting and huffing. The Taiwanese had her hands on her knees as she bent over to catch her breath.

"Why are you even tired?! Don't you need to climb this all the time?"

"You-you were GRABBING onto me for a whole 4 floors!" glared the singer.

Shuhua stuck her tongue out playfully which the singer responded with an eye roll.

"Anyway, you can't blame me." Miyeon trailed off and turned to look at the younger who was behind her.

"I usually take the lift." smiled the singer cheekily.

Shuhua's head snapped up and her eyebrows scrunched up in annoyance.

''We could've taken the lift?!''

----------

The singer pushed open the doors to IDLE's designated practice room whenever they were preparing for a comeback.

''Miyeon is back - eh? Shuhua?'' Minnie greeted in surprise.

The IDLE members were sprawled out on the floor as usual, even though they had sofas and chairs.

The Taiwanese did feel awkward invading the sacred practice space of the singers but she managed to squeak out a quiet ''Hello unnies''.

Soojin greeted Shuhua with a gentle smile that alleviated some of her nervousness. The dancer was seated cross-legged on the floor, her shoulder length hair was swept back and tucked behind her ears. Soyeon's head was resting comfortably on the dancer's lap, her tiny figure rose and fell softly with each breath, signalling her slumber.

The dancer was stroking the leader's hair softly, "Sorry, Soyeon was up all night in her studio so she's really tired after practice."

Shuhua nodded understandingly as Miyeon pulled her down take a seat near the members. The bag of snacks that Shuhua bought were placed on the ground.

''Shuhua, we finally get to see you again! Thanks for taking care of us.'' the Thai flashed a killer eyesmile.

''How did you get past Mr Kim anyway? I never managed to sneak a friend in. The old man's always so strict.''

''It's because I'm Mr Kim's favourite.'' the main vocal bragged with her chin up only to be met by a flick on her forehead by the Thai.

It wasn't long before the two started bickering about random nonsense. Shuhua felt like she was watching a VLIVE (yes, she has tuned in to a couple of IDLE's VLIVEs during her free time out of curiosity) and she couldn't help but let out a small giggle at their antics. Meanwhile, the noise roused Soyeon from her nap. Rubbing the sleep away from her eyes, the shorter girl sat up as she slowly became more aware of her surroundings. ''Oh? Hey there Shuhua. Been wanting to see you," Soyeon flashed a sleepy grin at the Taiwanese.

The leader looked even smaller dressed in a baggy shirt and her messy black locks made her look like a tiny little kitten. Shuhua thought she was impossibly adorable in contrast to her charismatic aura when she performs.

''Hi Soyeon unnie.''

''So, how have you been? Did Miyeon unnie treat you badly?'' the dancer smirked.

The main vocalist's protest was cut off, ''Yea actually. She made me climb all 8 floors when we could have taken the lift!''

Minnie let out an overly dramatic gasp as she pulled Shuhua towards her in a protective hug. ''How dare she?! The last time Miyeon climbed all 8 floors was probably over a year ago, yet she made you do it. Poor baby let's stay away from bad people like her.''

The Taiwanese nodded and snuggled closer to the Thai, savouring the look of betrayal on Miyeon's face while everyone burst out in laughter.

Shuhua felt an unfamiliar feeling of warmth. She didn't exactly have a close relation with the IDLE members, but she was oddly comfortable around them. Even Soyeon who she hasn't met since the charity event seemed to be able to make her relax with a single gummy smile.

It was strange.

The youngest glanced at a sulking Miyeon and she felt her heart skip a beat.

She placed a hand on her chest, feeling the irregular thump of her heart.

Huh...strange indeed.

----------

The girls spent the next hour just chatting and eating the snacks that Shuhua kindly brought. The awkwardness that Shuhua felt at the beginning disappeared quickly the more they conversed.

''Wow, it's already 3pm. Do you have things to do Shuhua?''

The youngest placed a hand on her chin, trying to recall if she had anything to do. ''Oh, I have an assignment due in 3 days which I need to work on. I'll probably go to a cafe nearby or something to do it. I can't focus well at home.''

''Why not you do your assignment here? We have small rooms where you can do your work privately. Then we can have dinner together afterwards. Pleaseee?'' the main vocalist tugged on her sleeve with her famous puppy eyes equipped and her lips jutted out in a small pout.

The other members voiced out their agreements to the idea, citing that they would love to have a proper meal together with her. A chorus of whining and pleading erupted from the girls.

Geez, how was anyone supposed to say no to these girls?

"Alright alright."

Miyeon cheered and dragged her towards the door, "I'll bring Shuhua there!"

They navigated through the company with Miyeon clinging onto the younger.

When Shuhua saw the familiar stairwell she threatened, ''Unnie, if you make me climb more stairs again, I will leave."

"Aw come on it's only one more floor up. Are you a baby? Do you need me to carry you or something?" truth to be told, Miyeon didn't want to risk them getting caught by their famous "8th-floor unnie" if they took the lift.

To her surprise, the Taiwanese suddenly stopped in her tracks and held out both her arms towards the singer. Miyeon looked at her quizzically, a 'the fuck?' look painted on her face.

''Aren't you carrying me?'' smiled the Taiwanese innocently, her outstretched hands making her look like a little baby asking for candy.

''You're kidding me...''

Shuhua stared at her, not moving an inch.

''Ugh fine! Hop on.'' the singer turned her back towards Shuhua and bent down. Being the brat who she is, Shuhua jumped onto Miyeon's back as ungracefully as she could which caused the singer to stumble a few steps. The additional weight of Shuhua's backpack certainly did not help.

''Come on unnie, these stairs don't climb themselves.'' the youngest sing-songs while poking the singer's cheek. Grumbling, the singer shifted her position to get a better hold of Shuhua. ''Hold on tight okay?'', the Taiwanese responded by tightening her hold around Miyeon's neck and leaning into the singer, taking in her scent.

Vanilla beans

Despite trying her best to channel her inner hulk, the fact is that she doesn't exercise, which therefore meant that she was struggling to piggyback the Taiwanese up the stairs. She grunted and wobbled with each step, feeling like her bones were going to snap.

Shit. I didn't know I was this weak.

''Ya unnie! I'm falling!'' cried Shuhua, her hold around Miyeon's neck slipping. The singer screamed as well when she let go of the Taiwanese and they stumbled into the side of the wall to balance themselves.

Miyeon placed her hand on the wall and was busy catching her breath when she was suddenly distracted by the sweet sound of Shuhua's laughter. She turned around to be greeted by the sight of Shuhua clutching her stomach and laughing.

Adorable.

It wasn't long before the singer was in a fit of contagious laughter which echoed throughout the stairwell. ''Come on, let's go. I'll be fitter next time and I'll carry you up these steps one day.'' the singer grabbed Shuhua's hand and pulled her towards one of the private cubicles.

The room was cozy and equipped with a desk and chair. A perfectly conducive environment for Shuhua to get shit done.

''I'll leave you to do your work while I get back to practice. Call me when you're done and we can head out for dinner.''

''Okay unnie.''

''See you later!'' Miyeon closed the door with a wink.

Shuhua stared at the shut door for the next 30 seconds in a daze.

Snapping out of her reverie, she immediately opened her laptop.

Get your shit together, Yeh Shuhua!

----------

Over the next couple of weeks, the cubicle, which was now dubbed the 'Shuhua Cube' was often occupied by - you guessed it, Yeh Shuhua. Miyeon has somehow managed to convince the girl to do her revision at the company where she (and sometimes the other members) would be able to pester the youngest every couple of hours. Shuhua was extremely hesitant but it was difficult to say no when Miyeon put her 'kicked puppy' face on. Truthfully, the Shuhua Cube was a really nice place and the bonus that she would never admit in person was that she could see Miyeon much more. With IDLE's comeback approaching quickly, the members were always at the company so this was the best way for Shuhua to see her unnies.

Miyeon had snuck her in a couple of times but alas, they were eventually caught one day by IDLE's manager. Fortunately for Miyeon, her manager unnie was also not immune to her charms and she had let them off (after Shuhua promised to not reveal any information on IDLE). It certainly did help that the Taiwanese had always remembered to buy coffee for their manager as well, when she used to deliver them drinks.

At this point, there were rumours circling amongst the trainees that Shuhua was a new trainee at CUBE which the girl thought was pretty amusing. No one really bothered to correct these rumours. Other trainees would stare at her when she speedwalked through the corridors of the company but none approached her directly. Minnie had told her that many trainees referred to her as the ''pretty and cold trainee who's always hanging around Miyeon sunbaenim'', and found her unapproachable. Good for her though, she wasn't exactly the friendliest person and she wasn't interested in talking to anyone else.

Knock knock knock.

Miyeon peeked her head through the door, ''Hey Shuhua. You alright?''

The Taiwanese rubbed her eyes, she had been studying for 4 hours and she still couldn't really comprehend her lecture materials. ''I guess...I'm kinda tired but I have a quiz coming up.''

''Hmm...wanna come somewhere with me real quick? Let's take a break.'' Miyeon gestured Shuhua over with a small wave.

They ended up in mini studio just several rooms away from the Shuhua Cube. Shuhua and Miyeon both took a seat on the small sofa in the studio. Shuhua took a look around and found that it was decorated with various photographs and slogans of Miyeon. ''Is this your studio?'', asked Shuhua as she continued taking in her surroundings. The singer responded with a hum.

''Oh? Unnie, you play the guitar?'' the Taiwanese inquired in slight surprise when she spotted a guitar case in the corner of the studio. Miyeon looked more like a piano girl than a guitar girl to her.

''Yeap. Shall I play for you?'' asked the singer while reaching for the guitar.

The maltese-like girl nodded eagerly in anticipation.

Once the guitar was tuned, the singer started strumming softly as she sang.

Shuhua was captivated. The usually goofy Miyeon was singing seriously, and she sounded wonderful. The way the singer would smile at certain parts of the song and the way she would scrunch her face at slightly more difficult notes, it was all so beautiful.

With one final strum, the song was over and Miyeon looked directly into Shuhua's eyes.

"Wasn't I good?'' said the singer with a cocky grin that looked so annoyingly attractive.

Flustered, the younger girl averted her gaze immediately but she wasn't one to let Miyeon get away with being all cocky.

''Eh, you were alright I guess.'' Shuhua rebutted, trying to keep her voice as steady as possible.

Miyeon's whining was ignored by the Taiwanese who turned away and pretended not to hear them. The singer, however, didn't miss the way Shuhua's lips seemed to curve upwards.

Chapter 9: I'm Not Special

Chapter Text

Hey guys! I'm back (for a bit, I'll be gone again for my finals) with a DOUBLE UPDATE! So make sure to read this chapter first or else it'll be kinda confusing. Tbh, it's maybe not really a double update? I just needed the chapters to split in a better way so the story didn't look as weird HAHA. Enjoy! We love happy stuff ^^


Yuqi flopped onto Shuhua the moment she entered the Taiwanese's room.

"Oof-"

"Ya! Song Yuqi get off me you're heavy." Shuhua grunted while trying to push her best friend off her.

"But I miss youuuuu! We live together but I feel like I haven't seen you much" a whine escaped Yuqi's lips.

Hearing that, Shuhua stopped struggling and allowed Yuqi to lie on her. She's been so busy with her assignments and revision and perhaps a certain girl group that she neglected her best friend.

A poke to the Chinese's waist caused the girl to yelp in surprise slightly.

The whine that came after made the Taiwanese laugh. "I'm sorry for not being around. You know you're important to me right?"

"Hmmmmm do I?" the girl drawled, stroking her imaginary beard.

"Oh shut up. Come on, let's get ice cream. My treat."

"I knew you loved me!" Yuqi sobbed dramatically, pretending to wipe her tears.

----------

"Ohhh Miyeon unnie is going to be the main-lead in a new web drama."

"What?! Let me see!"

A phone was shoved in Shuhua's face, and she quickly scanned through the article.

The talented IDLE's main vocalist, Miyeon, will be starring in a new web drama alongside popular boy group member NCT's Jaehyun. Their visuals together will leave the viewers breathless in this heart fluttering web drama!

Below the article were pictures of Miyeon posing cutely side-by-side with her handsome co-star.

Unknownst to herself, Shuhua's eyes narrowed as she looked at the pictures, a slight frown painted on her face.

"...heart fluttering drama?!"

A hand was slapped onto Shuhua's mouth, muffling the words. "Ya Shuhua why are you so mad for?!"

"Mhmm mMm Hmphh-"

The hand was removed from Shuhua's lips.

"I wasn't mad. I-uhm I was just shocked."

Even Shuhua was shocked by her reaction. She wasn't sure what was wrong but she felt slightly irritated just looking at the pictures of Miyeon and Jaehyun together. Maybe it was how Jaehyun's charming features looked so good next to Miyeon's sweet smile. But then again, why did that annoy her?

The two foreigners continued their ice cream date, chit-chatting and teasing each other like they always do. Yuqi was someone Shuhua could count on and the girl treasured her best friend dearly. She missed being with Yuqi, just the two of them. Ice cream plus your best friend, the perfect combination. So, today was going great, Shuhua thinks.

Though, somehow, Shuhua wondered why her favourite ice cream seemed to taste bitter today.

----------

It was after mid-terms and Shuhua was taking some time to finish up a couple of assignments before she would take it easier for awhile.

So of course, she was at The Shuhua Cube again. The girl was wrapped up in a thick hoodie and accompanied by a cup of coffee which had inevitably turned cold in the hours that Shuhua was in the room. No, she didn't have that much work to do right now. But she thinks that it'd be okay to procrastinate once in awhile.

Shuhua was doodling randomly on her notebook when she was interrupted by a knock on her door. "Shuhua? Are you busy? Can I come in?"

"Unless you're Minnie, Soojin or Soyeon unnie, then no."

A scoff was heard from the other side of the door, "Brat. I'm coming in."

The door swung open and the singer stomped towards Shuhua sulkily before she stopped and gave the younger a soft flick on the forehead. Shuhua responded with a whine and Miyeon couldn't help but think that it was the cutest sight ever. The singer peered over Shuhua's shoulder to look at what the younger was doing and she noticed that the younger was drawing and writing on her beige notebook again.

A cute wolf, a vampire some other random words in Mandarin.

Wow, looks like someone's Twilight phase came a little late, the singer thought to herself as she chuckled internally.

"Shuhua, what do you do with that notebook? I always see you hold it, even when you're not studying."

"Oh this thing?" the younger poked her notebook with her pen and looked at the singer who nodded in response.

The younger appeared to think, "Well, I don't really know. I just have a habit of writing things down when I have random thoughts or if there are things I want to do. So I like to keep this book close to me."

The singer nodded, absorbing the information so that she could add it to her mental list of things she knows about Shuhua.

The maltese-like girl spun around in her chair and faced the singer, "Unnie, you've been busy right? How's everything been?". The Taiwanese had put her pen down, placing all her attention on the singer infront of her.

Shuhua learned that Miyeon was almost done filming her web drama which was why she was extremely busy. One story led to another, and Miyeon ended up telling stories of what happened on-set.

"And so Jaehyun just slipped right on the banana peel!" Miyeon said, clapping her hands estatically as she recalled the story.

Shuhua laughed loudly, not just at the story but at how excited Miyeon was.

Unnie must have had fun then.

"Is Jaehyun ssi nice to you?"

"Hm? Oh yea definitely. He's a real gentleman."

A weird uncomfortable feeling welled up in Shuhua's chest but she pushed it away. Her unnie didn't do anything wrong.

"Anyway Shuhua, I gotta go. This is a secret but we're gonna have our comeback soon so we got lots of things to do."

"Wow, unnie you're so busy. Okay, please take care of yourself." the Taiwanese frowned lightly in concern. Back to back filming for her web drama, coupled with preparation for her group's comeback. Shuhua wondered how Miyeon could keep up and still manage to keep her brightness and liveliness.

The singer merely grinned at Shuhua as she leaned closer and patted the younger's cheek softly, "I'll be okay. Besides, if I fall sick, you'll take care of me right?"

Shuhua almost choked on her own saliva but she managed to sputter out a broken "Of course" at the singer who wouldn't stop staring at her with those beautiful doe eyes.

Satisfied with Shuhua's reply, the singer patted her hair softly before leaving the Shuhua Cube.

She's gonna drive me crazy.

----------

Shuhua was in the school's study lounge waiting for Yuqi when she overheard a conversation by a group of girls at the other table.

"Have you watched Replay? It's so disgusting that the IDLE bitch is acting in the drama with Jaehyunnie. Couldn't they pick anyone else?"

Shuhua's ears perked up at the mention of IDLE and she couldn't help but to listen, annoyedly.

"Yea, of course I watched it. But you're right yucks. You know, I read on Pann that Miyeon dated lots of people and slept around before her debut. So gross, what if she tries something with Jaehyun oppa?"

Shuhua scowled, what the fuck were these bitches spouting about?

"I hope that whore gets into an accident or something. That'll be hilarious."

That did it for Shuhua. She slammed her book down, catching the attention of the group of girls and she glared at them which made the girls confused.

The Taiwanese decided to just leave the lounge before she did anything stupid. How could people say things like that? She hopes that Miyeon never ever hears things like this.

----------

A couple of weeks later, Shuhua didn't manage to meet Miyeon or the IDLE members much because they were busy. It sucked, but they still texted each other sometimes. Replay was halfway through the season and the response for the web drama was generally pretty good, according to the articles that Shuhua read. No, the Taiwanese didn't watch the web drama personally. She likes to think that it's because she's been busy, but the deep down, she knows that it's because she didn't want to watch it. She wasn't sure why (Or was she?). Miyeon had asked her multiple times if she'd watch Replay yet but Shuhua would always make an excuse for not watching it. The singer would reply with a couple of mad emojis but it wasn't anything really serious.

Shuhua was kept updated through following IDLE on their various SNS accounts. She could see photos posted by them, including a recent one where Miyeon was hanging out with Sana from TWICE. The Taiwanese couldn't help but to be mesmerized by the photos.

Wow, celebrities are surely different. Pretty girl next to a pretty girl.

Everything else annoyed Shuhua though. Everyone annoyed her. She hated that she could hear people talk about Miyeon and Jaehyun whenever she walked through the hallways.

"Did you watch the latest episode of Replay? I swear that Miyeon is in love with Jaehyun for real. The way she looks at him is so full of love. I ship them so much."

Covering her ears, Shuhua speedwalked to her classroom with a sour mood. Great, and the day just started too.

"Yo bro, what's with the long face?" Yuqi slapped Shuhua's back, appearing out of nowhere.

The Taiwanese sighs, "Nothing. It's just...nevermind. I don't even know, I'm just having a bad day I guess."

Kakao!

Shuhua checks her phone to see that Miyeon texted her.

From: Clumsy Unnie

Shuhua, will you be coming over to CUBE today? I'm free from 7pm to 9pm, do you want to grab dinner after? I miss you :<

Oh, you can ask Yuqi to come too.


Shuhua felt her cheeks heat up as she re-read the last line a couple of times, a small smile appearing on her face which made Yuqi stare at her weirdly.

Noticing Yuqi's weird look, Shuhua cleared her throat, "Uhm, do you want to grab dinner with Miyeon unnie later?"

The Chinese girl pouted sadly, "Aww I already made plans. This is so sad, I wanna see Miyeon unnie too! But have fun and help me say hi ok?"

The Taiwanese nodded and quickly sent a text to Miyeon that she would be happy to have dinner together. A silly smile was plastered on her face as she sent the text and she couldn't wait for class to be over.

Maybe today won't be that bad afterall.

----------

Shuhua was headed towards CUBE with a light skip in her footsteps while humming to herself. After greeting Mr Kim at the gate, she moved towards the staircase so that she could get up to her usual room.

"Hey, you. New trainee."

But maybe today wasn't her day.

Shuhua groaned internally, she really didn't want to talk to anyone. And also, she wasn't even a trainee.

Turning around to face the source of the voice, she came face to face with one of the trainee. "May I help you?"

"What's your name?" the trainee asked as she scanned Shuhua nonchalantly.

"My name's Shuhua. Do you need something from me?"

"Okay Shuhua. I'm Haein and I'm the trainee who's trained the longest here."

Okay? Did I ask?

Shuhua kept mum, waiting for Haein to tell her exactly what the hell she wanted from her. "Right. That's great."

What the fuck was she supposed to respond with?

"Look. All of us just want to know who you are and why you're always sticking around IDLE sunbaenim, and particularly Miyeon sunbaenim. As a trainee, you shouldn't be so unprofessional. It's like you're trying to suck up to them." Haein frowned at Shuhua and crossed her arms, waiting for an answer.

Shuhua exhaled, annoyed "Haein-ssi, firstly, I am not a trainee. I'm just friends with the unnies. So, if we're done here then I need to go up." Shuhua scooted past Haein but she was caught off-guard when the trainee reached out and pulled her and pushed her into the wall.

"So that's why none of us ever see you in lessons. Don't kid yourself, you think you're friends with IDLE sunbaenim? If you're not a trainee, that means you're just a normal high school student. You're a nobody." Haein sneered as she jabbed a finger at Shuhua.

"That's none of your business, we've been friends for months. Now get off me." the Taiwanese pushed Haein's hand away angrily.

Haein laughed mockingly and continued, "You really think you're on the same level as Miyeon sunbaenim? You're just some stupid kid who's taking up her time. You know ever since you kept coming here, I overhead our dance teacher say that Miyeon sunbaenim has been falling behind. It's because you keep wasting her time."

Shuhua clenched her teeth, but Haein wasn't done. "She's gonna stop caring about you once she's bored of you. It's common for idols to befriend fans, have some fun with them and dump them afterwards. After all, I've seen some of our company's idols do that. So you should just leave Miyeon sunbaenim alone. She has more important things to do and better people to be with her. Not some school kid."

"You're not special." Haein finished off her speech with words that seemed to slap Shuhua in the face. The trainee didn't even give a chance for Shuhua to say anything back, she turned and left with a scoff.

Shuhua felt her legs tremble as she sank down to her knees with her back against the wall. "You're not special" she mumbled repeatedly under her breath.

It wasn't fair that Haein could strike her insecurities just like that when they barely even knew each other. But Haein wasn't wrong. Shuhua thinks of Miyeon, the beautiful girl who was filled with gentleness and kindness. Shuhua thinks of the people at her school talking about how good Miyeon looked together with Jaehyun, how perfect they were together. Shuhua thinks of the friends that Miyeon had, charming people like Sana from TWICE and Binnie and Jiho from OHMYGIRL. And how she lacks so much compared to them, she was just a school student who worked at a coffee shop. She shouldn't be wasting Miyeon's time. The singer was finally having some free time today after being so busy and deserved a break, not be bothered by someone like herself.

She started to feel suffocated the more her thoughts spiraled.

I need to get out of here.

The Taiwanese rushed out of the building, her lungs burned. Her hands shook as she typed a message to Miyeon.

To: Clumsy Unnie

Sorry unnie, I can't meet you today. I'm busy. You should have dinner with someone else or take a break.


Send.

I'm not special.

----------

Miyeon pouted after she read the text from Shuhua. She was really looking forward to seeing the younger who she'd come to adore but if Shuhua was busy, then it couldn't be helped. She had just finished a recording session and she was spent but her tummy was grumbling. After sending a text to Shuhua saying that it was okay, the singer received a text from Dami asking her if she wanted to have dinner together.

Might as well, I'm hungry anyway.

----------

Back at her dorm, the Taiwanese tried to do some revision to get her mind off today's occurrence. But nothing was going into her mind and she was about to tear her hair out in frustration. Deciding to take a break, she opened Twitter and scrolled. That's when she saw tweets from several IDLE fan accounts that were freaking out over Miyeon and Dami's dinner "date" as they wrote in their captions along with photos of the duo who looked like they were really enjoying each other's company.

The Taiwanese bit her bottom lip to stop herself from trembling.

See Shuhua, this is how it should be. Miyeon unnie doesn't need someone like you.

She nodded to herself as she got back to work, distracting herself with a pile of revision worksheets she printed.

I'm not special.

----------

As day goes by, Shuhua continued to avoid Miyeon, making up excuses whenever the singer asked to spend time together and ignoring her texts. It killed her inside but she figured that it was for the best. Anyway, Miyeon will be busy with IDLE's comeback which was tomorrow. She didn't have time for Shuhua.

Avoiding Miyeon doesn't mean that she stopped looking up IDLE's activities though. When IDLE made their comeback with DUMDi DUMDi, Shuhua watched their showcase video and she was impressed. The members all looked amazing and cool but her eyes seemed to focus on one person only, no matter if it was her turn to sing or not. Scrolling down to read the comments, Shuhua felt proud when she saw many people praising Miyeon for her improved dance skills. She thought back to what Haein said about the dance teacher and Miyeon.

I guess it really was my fault. Unnie is doing better now without me.

The thought made her sad, but it was a fact right?

Thus, she continues to push Miyeon away, even though it hurt. And all she wanted to do was to tell Miyeon that she missed her and wants to do stupid things with her again. But every time she feels tempted to text the singer say that she wants to see her, she remembers how Miyeon will be better off without her. She closes her Katalk, ignoring Miyeon's texts for the fifth time, ignoring the ache in her heart once again.

I'm not special
----------

 

Hi yes, as usual, I didn't proof read <3 go on to the next chapter! OH but do leave a comment to let me know what you thought about THIS chapter :> i love reading them~

Chapter 10: Five Things

Chapter Text

Hey guys! I'm back (for a bit, I'll be gone again for my finals) with a DOUBLE UPDATE! This is the SECOND part so please make sure you read the previous chapter if you haven't or it's gonna be weird. This one's pretty short but please enjoy!



From: Clumsy Unnie

Did I do something wrong?




From: Clumsy Unnie

Why are you ignoring me?




From: Clumsy Unnie

Let's talk. Please.



Shuhua scanned the texts and closed them with a sigh. Why was Miyeon making it so hard for her?

The Taiwanese was working an evening shift at Chorong's cafe. Business was slow, which was something she usually enjoyed. But right now, all she wanted was to be so busy that she couldn't think. Because she doesn't like her thoughts anymore. Not when all she could think about was a certain singer.

Welp, another 30 minutes and I can start closing up.

Some time later, Shuhua heard the doorbell, signalling the entry of a customer.

"Welco-" she looked up and came face to face with a familiar, pretty, masked figure.

"Miyeon unnie..." Shuhua gulped nervously, her hands that were holding onto a broom were trembling slightly.

"Shuhua." the singer called out as she looked directly at the younger.

The Taiwanese kept silent, too stunned to say anything and she didn't trust her dumb mouth right now.

This didn't please the singer though, she scoffed lightly "You're going to ignore me even in person now?". Her tone sounded disappointed and Shuhua felt horrible.

Miyeon sighs, "Can we talk? Please?", her voice cracked slightly at the end and that absolutely shattered Shuhua.

"..Okay. I'll close up the shop now." spoke Shuhua softly and the singer simply nodded and waited for the younger by the door.

Once Shuhua was done, she walked towards Miyeon who suggested that they went somewhere else to talk.

The singer grabbed Shuhua's wrist and pulled her along gently like she always did.

They walked, and walked, and walked. No words exchanged between them throughout until they reached the Han River. The vocalist let go of Shuhua's wrist and removed her mask and hoodie before she turned to the girl.

Shuhua looked at Miyeon and it was only now that she realised just how tired Miyeon looked. There were visible dark circles under the singers bloodshot eyes. For the first time, the singer wasn't wearing that stupidly bright smile of hers but a slight frown. Despite how tired she looked, Shuhua thought that Miyeon was still hauntingly beautiful under the moonlight.

"Shuhua. Did I do something wrong?" the singer asked softly.

"No, you didn't."

"Then why? You've been avoiding me."

"I-I wasn't"

The singer closed her eyes, biting her bottom lip to keep herself from crying in frustration.

"Cut the crap and stop lying to me." Miyeon stared directly into the younger's eyes with her own teary eyes, "Please."

The singer sounded so broken and it tore Shuhua apart. She didn't mean for this to happen.

"I...I thought it was for the better. You- You're too good for me." Shuhua confessed.

"You shouldn't waste time on me. You've improved in dancing after you stopped wasting time on me. You also have many more friends who are like you and better than me. I just thought that you didn't need me." Shuhua looked down, it was getting hard to breathe. The air was heavy and she could feel Miyeon staring at her but she wasn't done.

"Unnie, you're like a star you know that? You shine so brightly in my eyes but you're so far away from me and I can't reach you. I'm not like you, I'm just a dumb high schooler who happened to get lucky and meet you." the younger looked up at the stars above them, her hand was visibly shaking as tears welled up in her eyes.

Miyeon stepped closer towards her "Do you want to know why I improved so much? It's because I needed something to do so that I would stop thinking about you. Because when I'm not doing something, I would think about what I did to make you ignore me. So I kept practicing and practicing and practicing. I practiced so much that the girls had to force me back to the dorms because I was starting to fall sick."

Shuhua felt her heart clench as Miyeon continued, "Shuhua, you're not any of those that you said you were." The singer held onto the younger's shaking hand and rubbed it with her thumb in small soothing circles.

"And I'm not this unreachable star you think I am. I'm just a girl who wants to be with people I cherish. And you're one of them. Don't you know that you shine as brightly in my eyes?"

"Please don't push me away. I-it hurts s-so much." that's when Miyeon broke, unable to control the emotions that have bottled up inside her any longer. She cried, tears streaming down her face as she buried her face with her hands.

Automatically, Shuhua engulfed the singer into a tight hug, she felt stupid for letting those thoughts take over her mind and stupid for doing what she thought was right. Most of all, she felt stupid for hurting Miyeon.

The younger tightened the hug as she repeated the words "I'm so sorry." over and over again. She pulled back and held onto the singer's face delicately, as if she were holding onto an antique from a museum. Shuhua wiped away the singer's tears with her thumbs and placed a soft kiss on her forehead. This action calmed the singer significantly and her breathing started to go back to normal after her tears stopped.

"Unnie, please don't cry" Shuhua choked out shakily.

"You idiot. You're the one crying right now." the singer said, reaching out to wipe the younger's tears with a soft laugh. Realising this, Shuhua couldn't help but to laugh too. She didn't even know she was crying.

"I'm sorry unnie, I never meant to hurt you. Please forgive me. I'll make it up to you." pleaded the younger with puffy eyes.

"You'll make it up to me?", the singer tilted her head sideways cutely.

The younger nodded eagerly, looking much like a puppy.

Miyeon raised her hand with her palms outstretched, a small smile graced her features as she waited.

Confused was an understatement. What the hell did Miyeon want? The Taiwanese shrugged internally, this might work. Hesitantly, the younger reached out and high-fived the singer who only responded with an unwavering stare.

Gulp.

"Oh....was that not it?"

With that, Miyeon burst into laughter, her loud voice filling the space. Shuhua was unimpressed. What the heck was so funny?

"Five things."

"If you want to make it up to me, I want you to honestly answer five things that I will ask you, and write it all down for me." Miyeon said seriously, her gaze never leaving Shuhua.

"Okay." the younger answered, albeit slightly confused with the request.

"Okay." smiled the singer.

Silence

"Uhm, are you not gonna ask the questions?"

Grabbing Shuhua's wrist again, the singer grinned as she pulled the younger along. "Not now. You'll know when I ask you the qeustions. For now, let's go get some dessert. You gave me a headache."

The Taiwanese pouted and let Miyeon drag her around. She looked down at their hands and she felt her heart jump.

I missed this.

----------

That's it for now! These two chapters were important to get us going so yay it's finally starting~ 

I'm sorry for being gone for so long but yea, I had shit to do and I hated it. In fact, I shouldn't even be writing this now because I have exams but im RISKING IT ALL FOR YALL. jk im procrastinating <3

I'd love it if you guys could comment on what you think of this chapter and maybe even what's gonna happen in the future :> reading and replying to yall is always fun to me.

and blabla, didnt proof read. it's 10am and im going to bed. i overdid it tonight but i wanted to get these chapters out before i slept. I hope you like it! see yall in December and hopefully, we'll finish Cart by the end of the year!








Chapter 11: Things You Want to Do (하고 싶은)

Chapter Text

After making up with Miyeon during that tearful night, the girls shoveled themselves full of ice cream and Miyeon walked Shuhua back to her apartment despite the latter's insistence that it wasn't necessary. Shuhua made sure to get Miyeon to text her when she was back at the dorms so that the Taiwanese would know if the singer was safe and sound.

Shuhua quietly entered her apartment and did whatever she needed to do before she flopped onto her bed. Groaning softly to herself as she pressed her face into the soft pillows, feeling the exhaustion slowly seep in. The whole day, no scratch that, the whole duration of avoiding Miyeon really took a toll on her mentally. With her arms folded behind her head, she looked up at her ceiling, thinking of a certain singer. She expected Miyeon to hate her for everything she did. After all, she'd definitely be pissed if she were in Miyeon's shoe but the singer was so patient and even sought after her despite her busy schedule. Shuhua felt like a fool for letting Haein's words get to her it was definitely a build-up of various insecurities regarding her relationship with Miyeon. Haein was just the straw that broke the camel's back. On the bright side, she did feel more reassured after having a heart-to-heart talk with the singer who always seemed to be on her mind.

Kakao!

From: Clumsy Unnie

I've reached my dorm! So, you can sleep well now :>

Don't ever avoid me again or I'll hunt you down >:(

Sleep well Shushu~~


The Taiwanese lit up as she scanned the text, her fingers danced across the keyboard while she wrote a reply to the singer in excitement.

To: Clumsy Unnie

That's good. Thank you for being with me, I'll never do something dumb like that again T.T

Sleep well unnie, I missed you so much.


Smiling softly, the Taiwanese locked her phone and placed it beside her pillow. She shut her eyes, feeling herself drift off into slumber - one that wasn't plagued with anxiety and irritation but with a comfortable warmth that she hasn't felt since the incident.

 



IDLE's promotions were going well. Soyeon's songwriting prowess coupled with the girls' charms helped them snag various music show awards and they had many extra schedules. This meant that there were more content for their fans (cough Shuhua) to watch and she was glad to be able to keep up with what her unnies were doing.

Miyeon had been whining for Shuhua to hang out with her and the members at the company again but she didn't know that the Taiwanese had been avoiding the company because it still felt weird to be there. Especially when there were trainees who seemed to hate her guts there and she really didn't feel like dealing with people again. But Miyeon has a gift of being extremely convincing (Shuhua thinks that it has something to do with her eyes but she's not gonna say that out loud) which was why Shuhua has ended up at the doorstep of CUBE once again.

"Unnie...maybe I should just wait for y'all nearby or something" Shuhua pointed to nowhere in particular with an awkward laugh.

"Nonsense! Why are you like this? You used to come here all the time. And anyway, it's pretty much your room now y'know? Yookyung unnie put up signs for you." the singer gestured a small square with her fingers. "Signs?" Shuhua asked in confusion. Miyeon nodded thoughtfully, "Yea. It's like a 'Reserved for Yeh Shuhua' sign that's stuck on the door."

"Wh-what? Why?!" the Taiwanese sputtered, trying to process this piece of information. Hell, she didn't even work or train here. It's basically free rent for her, it didn't make sense! The singer simply shrugged and pulled the younger by the wrist, "I dunno. You're ours now I guess. Now let's go! It's so hot that my makeup is gonna melt off any moment if you keep dilly-dallying here."

"Unnie, it's winter and you're shivering."

"Shut up."

When they entered the building, Miyeon annoyingly insisted that they take the stairs to "relieve old memories" which Shuhua thought was completely ridiculous since it wasn't really that long ago since she was last there but she decided to humour the singer. All was well except for the fact that they were both really unfit and were trying to hang onto each other for support. "Let me go!" Miyeon complained while trying to shake off the iron grip Shuhua had on her shoulder. Their playful bickering was cut short when they heard footsteps coming down. Shuhua's eyes widened in surprise when they came face to face with a group of trainees, and in particularly, Lee Haein. The trainee in question didn't seem too stoked to see her too, judging from the way her eyes narrowed and lips turned down slightly at the sight of the Taiwanese.

"Good afternoon Sunbaenim" the trainees greeted as they passed by the duo. Haein's glare towards Shuhua didn't go unnoticed by the girl herself. It was at the damn staircase again, Shuhua thinks that she should really just stick to the lifts from now on. The Taiwanese kept her gaze pointed towards the ground. She felt her anxiety starting to build up again and all she wanted to do right now was get out.

The trainees left after their chorus of greetings which Shuhua was grateful for. Miyeon was about to move again when she turned back and took notice of Shuhua acting strangely. "Hey, what's wrong?" the singer placed her hand on Shuhua's shoulder, bending down to look at the younger's face. The younger shook her head softly and trudged forward towards the Shuhua Cube. Miyeon decided to put this off for the moment but she knew there was something up with Shuhua which she would ask about again later.

The duo arrived outside the room and indeed, there was a sign that's written with marker on a piece of paper that says "Reserved for Shuhua".

"Are you sure you didn't write this yourself?" the Taiwanese narrowed her eyes at Miyeon playfully. The latter raised her hands up in defense, "Hey, it really wasn't me. Maybe you should just move in here." she joked.

"Yea, probably not a good idea to hang around here too often." Shuhua muttered to herself as she pushed open the door to the room, but it did not go unheard by the singer.

Upon entering, Shuhua took a seat as Miyeon closed the door behind them. They chatted a bit but Miyeon could see that Shuhua was bothered by something. The younger was spacing out and would reply half-heartedly, seemingly more interested in staring at the wall behind her. Miyeon was determined to find out what's wrong.

"Shuhua, I know something is bothering you." Miyeon placed her hand on the Taiwanese's knees, rubbing small circles with her thumb. "You can tell me y'know? I'm listening." the singer reassures. Shuhua gulped, contemplating if she should tell Miyeon what's the problem. Which also meant she had to snitch on Haein, but does "Snitches get stitches" apply when the trainee was the one being a bitch to her. She didn't really want to make a big deal out of the situation which was the reason she didn't tell Miyeon about it previously. But Miyeon was looking at her so earnestly and asking so sincerely, her beautiful brown eyes emanating warmth and comfort.

"Well...there was an uhm...incident on that day we were supposed to have dinner together and I cancelled on you." the Taiwanese started hesitantly, looking at Miyeon's hand that was still tracing her knee. The singer hummed, encouraging Shuhua to keep going and that she was listening. Feeling slightly more confident, Shuhua launched into an explanation of what happened that day between her and Haein and how it lead to her self-doubt increasing tenfold.

Miyeon frowned, she was pretty damn upset at Haein's action. This was not the attitude a trainee who was probably going to debut should have. She was going to have a talk with Haein. She thinks that she should bring Soojin along incase she'd end up throwing hands at anyone who hurt the younger girl who she has come to not so secretly adore.

"I see...I'm sorry Shuhua. Haein crossed the line and you didn't deserve any of that." Miyeon reached out and placed her hand on Shuhua's cheeks. "I'll make sure she never does anything like that ever again." Shuhua leaned into Miyeon's palm, "Sorry unnie, please don't be too harsh on Haein-ssi. I don't think she's a bad person."

Miyeon was surprised at that statement. Even when Shuhua got hurt, the girl was still kind and understanding. She really did deserve the nickname of "Angel". The singer scolded her lightly, saying that she shouldn't apologise.

"Well okay. Anyway, I'll go get my stuff and we can grab dinner with the members. I'll meet you downstairs in 15?" the singer stood up and stretched. "Oh, there's something on the bulletin board for you by the way. See ya later." Miyeon pointed as she left the room.

Turning sideways, Shuhua finally noticed that there was a note stuck onto the bulletin board. She rolled her chair towards it and pulled the note out.

The note reads "Things you want to do", neatly written in Miyeon's handwriting which Shuhua thought was really cute.

Was this one of the five questions Miyeon wanted her to answer? That's kind of a weird question but okay. Perhaps the singer just wanted to get to know her better.

Grabbing a pen from the stationery box on the table, Shuhua popped the cap open and proceeded to jot down the answer to Miyeon's question on a separate puppy-shaped sticky note. It didn't take that long because the girl simply wrote down what came to mind first.

Satisfied with her answer, Shuhua capped the pen and returned it to its original place. In one smooth motion, she tore a piece of the sticky note off and stuck it right next to the one that Miyeon placed.

Unnie will probably see this later, I think.

Shuhua stretched a bit before checking her phone to see that it was about time to head downstairs to meet Miyeon. She smiles at the thought of spending time with the singer. She could feel the ghost of Miyeon's hand on her cheeks still, the warmth that emanated from those palms still fresh on her mind. Shuhua blushed deeply and shook her head frantically.

What the hell? Stop being a creep Shuhua. Time to go.



"Good afternoon Miyeon sunbaenim, you wanted to see me?" Haein bowed as she entered the 8th-floor practice room.

Miyeon looked up from the book she was reading and exhaled deeply, trying to contain herself. "Hello Haein-ssi. Yes, I was looking for you. Come in." she briefly glanced at the singer and shut her book after she dog-eared the paperback.

The trainee stepped timidly towards the coach and took a seat beside the singer, leaving a respectful gap between them. The aura surrounding the senior singer was unlike her usual i'm-a-sunshine personality. Not that the singer was always aloof, it was just that you don't often get to see her serious side unless she's preparing for an important event.

"I see you've met Shuhua before." the singer started.

"Uhm, Shuhua-ssi..."

"My friend, Shuhua." Miyeon snapped coldly, making sure to emphasize her words clearly. "Look, I'm not gonna waste time and listen to you fumble around for excuses. I do not appreciate you harassing someone precious to me like that. I know what you did and what you said. In fact, Shuhua was really nice y'know? She probably toned down what you said and she even told me not to be too harsh on you."

The singer stood up, "You want to debut?"

Haein nodded weakly, her head hung low.

"Not with that attitude." the singer said icily. Miyeon's stone-cold stare sent shivers down Haein's body and the trainee felt those words hit her like a truck. "I-I'm sorry." the trainee stood up and bowed, her hands were balled up to prevent herself from visibly shaking under the intense gaze directed at her.

"Not to me," the singer gathered her bag and swung it over her shoulder. "I won't tell the CEO about this...behaviour of yours this time. But if I ever hear anything like this from you again, don't even think about debuting. Nobody wants an idol with a nasty personality."

Haein listened to Miyeon's footsteps with her gaze pointed at the floor as the singer walked past her towards the door. This couldn't be it, she was the oldest trainee at CUBE, the top trainee. She had to debut. The trainee's state of panic was cut short by the singer.

"Oh," Miyeon held the door open and turned back to look at Haein. "Since you're here you wouldn't mind cleaning up the practice room would you? It's dirty." smirked the singer with a tilt of her head before she slammed the door.

"Fucking shit." muttered Haein under her breath as she looked around the room for the vacuum cleaner.



In the Shuhua Cube, Miyeon was spinning around in Shuhua's chair while holding onto the post-it note written by the younger.

On the post-it writes something short and straightforward. Extremely fitting of someone like Shuhua. "get a puppy, spend time with yuqi, clumsy unnie and idle unnies."

The singer snickers lightly at the younger's handwriting that look somehow messy yet carefully written. She taps her cheek with her index finger, contemplating.

Hmm, what should we do about this?


Miyeon smiles to herself as an imaginary lightbulb pops up. She places the post-it back onto the bulletin board and pulls out her phone to search something.



"Slowpoke, hurry up!" Shuhua yells, swinging her backpack over her shoulders after she checks the time.

"Alright alright, I'm coming!" the Chinese scurried to the door, almost slipping on the cold tiles in the process due to her giraffe-printed socks.

"What took you so long anyway? You're usually quick to prepare." questions the Taiwanese as she locked the door. "I got to look my best today. We're gonna meet IDLE unnies and I need a wife." Yuqi answered seriously with a tiny nod, determination shining in her brown orbs. Shuhua snorted, "Yea, good luck with that. I'm sure it'll work out if they have bad tastes."

Yuqi's whines were ignored by Shuhua (as usual).

The duo arrived at their destination at 2pm, in front of the CUBE building. The Taiwanese dropped a quick text to Miyeon, signaling her of their arrival. While waiting for the IDLE members, Shuhua was unexpectedly greeted by Haein.

The trainee stood directly across Shuhua, "Hello, Shuhua-ssi." Shuhua mumbles a half-hearted greeting back. Haein looked like she was about to cry, her lips trembling slightly as she spoke. Yuqi looked at the both of them weirdly, uhm what is going on.

"Shuhua-ssi, I am here to apologise. I'm sorry for my hurtful words and action. They were horrible and unacceptable. Please allow me to make it up to you." Haein says with her head bowed down.

"I accept your apology. And it's okay, you don't have to make it up to me. Just make sure to work hard I guess."

The trainee lifted her head slightly and met Shuhua's gaze. The Taiwanese offered a small comforting smile that felt so genuine.

So this is why Miyeon-sunbaenim likes her so much.

The two of them said their goodbyes and Haein entered the building with a sense of relief. Yuqi gave Shuhua a look to which the Taiwanese said that she'll explain later.

Right on cue, the IDLE members emerged from the building, along with their manager.

"Shushuuuuu!" the eldest member ran towards Shuhua and smothered her in a tight hug. "Yah unnie get off me!" the Taiwanese complained, trying to hide a smile. Miyeon stuck out her tongue playfully and clung onto Shuhua's arm.

Meanwhile, Yuqi was greeting her potential future wives with starstricken eyes. "Yookyung unnie will drive us to our destination. Let's get in the van." Miyeon announced.

A couple of days back, Miyeon had texted Shuhua to invite her on an outing with the members. She told Shuhua to bring Yuqi along too and that the place would be revealed later on.

"Alright kids, let's go." Soyeon says as she opens the car door. "We're older than you!" Miyeon and Minnie whined childishly. "Then act your age." the main dancer smirked. Everyone laughed at Soojin's KO move.

Seo Soojin, silent but deadly

"You're always on Soyeonie's side." Minnie crossed her arm with a pout. Soojin shrugged, not giving a slightest shit about Minnie's temper tantrum.

The car ride was lively. Yuqi's (overly) extroverted self managed to increase the energy levels through the roof and surprisingly, even the quiet Soojin was hyped.

"We're here." Yookyung announced. "I'll be back in two hours to pick you guys up."

Puppy Sanctuary

"PUPPY SANCTUARY?! I LOVE PUPPIES!" "ME TOO!" Yuqi, Minnie and Shuhua jumped in circles with their hands joined. The trio ran into the building so quickly that if this were a cartoon, Miyeon was sure that there'll be a trail of dust behind them.

"Why is Minnie acting like she doesn't know that we were coming here?" Soyeon scratches her head. Soojin and Miyeon shrugged and the trio entered the building as well.

 


 

After speaking to the staff, the girls entered the area where all the puppies and dogs were held. The staff explained that Puppy Sanctuary was a non-profit organisation that took care of rescued dogs. The girls would take on the role of entertaining the puppies today to keep them happy. As the staff was explaining everything, Miyeon couldn't help but notice how adorable Shuhua was being. The Taiwanese could barely focus on the words of the staff, she seemed to be distracted by every puppy that they passed by.

"Please take care of them. Let us know if you need help with anything." the staff said before she left.

The girls split up and headed towards the puppies.

Yuqi and Soyeon ended up together somehow, the both of them playing with a tiny corgi named Ggi Ggi. "Soyeon unnie look! It's butt is so cute." Yuqi swoons as she pointed at the corgi's butt. Soyeon laughs, finding the Chinese's reactions extremely cute. The Chinese was whining because the corgi kept running from her. "Ggi Ggi! Don't you know I love you?!"

Despite not knowing each other that well previously, the two of them got along well.

"So you're interested in composing." Soyeon says while petting Ggi Ggi that was laying in Yuqi's lap. The giraffe-loving girl somehow managed to win over the affection of the corgi through her persistence.

"Mmmhmm! I've been trying to write some stuff during my free time. They aren't great but I just find it really fun I guess." Yuqi joined Soyeon in petting the corgi.

"Maybe you can show me next time? You could come to my studio sometime and I could show you some stuff. Think of it as...hands-on learning."

Yuqi's eyes widened hearing Soyeon's words. She grabbed onto the rapper's tiny hands, "Really? I would love that so much unnie!". The Chinese smiled so wide that her eyes turned into tiny crescent moons and the rapper couldn't help but smile as well from the her enthusiasm. "Of course."

Ggi Ggi snuggled into Yuqi's palm, "Oh my god, unnie look! He's so cute!", the Chinese squeals. "Yea, just like you." Soyeon says straightforwardly which earned her a light shove from the Chinese who told her to stop making her blush.

 



Unsurprisingly, Shuhua was stuck with Miyeon who as Shuhua says "Wouldn't leave her alone". The Taiwanese was swooning for two black and brown poodles that seemed to take a liking to her as well.

"Come here" Miyeon says, clapping her hands to gain their attention to which the puppies ignored.

Shuhua giggled at Miyeon's misery. "Come here babies" Shuhua cooed and immediately, the puppies moved towards her, their footsteps clumsy but adorable. Miyeon's jaw dropped as Shuhua looked at her smugly. To add oil to the fire, Shuhua even picked up the two puppies and cuddled them in her arms. The singer pouted and muttered softly to herself on why the puppies were so mean to her. Shuhua looked over and felt her heart pound at the expression that Miyeon made.

Damn it, why is this unnie acting like a cute puppy.

Wait, did I just call her cute?


Shuhua shook her thoughts away. "Unnie, stop sulking and come here."

The singer grumbled that she wasn't sulking but she scooted towards Shuhua anyway. She observed Shuhua and was glad to see that the girl was happy. "Are you having fun?" the singer asks placing her cheek on her palm as her elbow rests on her knee. "Yea. I'm having so much fun." Shuhua says, moving the black poodle's paw to give Miyeon a salute and the singer almost melted at the sight.

Man, I wish I could make that a gif so I can loop it forever.

"I'm glad then. Since I can't get you a puppy, I thought that coming here was close enough." Miyeon smiled lazily, her stare never leaving Shuhua's figure. Hearing the singer's words, Shuhua felt a warm fuzzy feeling deep within her chest. She did this for me.

The Taiwanese scooted towards the singer until their knees touched. Miyeon's confusion was halted when she felt a soft peck on her cheek followed by a tiny lick. Shuhua was holding onto the brown poodle who was the culprit the tongue attack with her arms outstretched. The younger tilted her head to the side cutely, "Thank you for bringing me here, Miyeon unnie." The puppy barked seemingly in agreement.

Miyeon beamed in elation and ruffled the younger's hair lightly.

As long as you're happy, that's all that matters.

Unfortunately, the duo's moment was interrupted by the bickering of Soojin and Minnie who were arguing about which person the puppy they were playing with liked more.

"It's obviously me! I'm blonde and the puppy is a GOLDEN retriever. We have a connection." Minnie said as a matter of fact with her chin held up high.

"That doesn't even make sense!" Soojin glared, raising her hand in the air in a "what the fuck" fashion.

Soyeon let out a huge sigh that could be heard from across the room, "Here we go again." the rapper grumbles. Shuhua and Miyeon simply laughed at their friends' antics.

 

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/hides/ uhm hi guys i'm here again. firstly, i'd like to apologise for taking so long to update. i am on my holidays but my lazy ass spends sooo much time sleeping it's ridiculous. i take back what i said about finishing Cart by december oops! anyway, i hope you enjoyed this chapter. i'd like to say that there's only 4 more chapters to go before we're done :> let me know what you think about whatever and i'll see you soon~

Chapter 12: Things You Want to Buy (사고 싶은)

Chapter Text

The temperature in Seoul had dropped to "a number as low as my bank account" as said by Yuqi when Shuhua had complained through chattering teeth.

 

School had been the pretty much the same - stressful, boring - but this time, there was also the additional annoyance of a broken heater in one of Shuhua's usual lecture theatres.

 

Why the hell are we paying so much school fees for if they can't fix a damn heater?!

 

This cold winter however, was perfect for IDLE's latest release - HWAA. The Taiwanese and her best friend were sprawled out on the living room carpet watching TV. Why the carpet? The two were wrestling for the remote control and somehow their scuffle ended up with the two falling onto the ground trying to choke each other out. Shuhua ended up tapping out when Yuqi had her legs wrapped around her in an arm bar.

 

"Okay okay! I surrender! Take the damn remote!" gasped Shuhua as she desperately tapped the carpet lest her best friend accidentally (purposely?) kills her.

 

Fresh air rushes into her lungs once the Chinese releases her iron grip on Shuhua's poor arm, tossing the younger's limp arm onto the carpet and snatching the remote away.

 

"You shouldn't have challenged me. I've been wrestling since I was three years old y'know."

 

"Whatever." Shuhua sulked while staring at the ceiling, trying to ignore her embarrassing defeat. It wasn't her fault that Yuqi was built like a bull. She practically cheated.

 

With a press a button, the TV switched on and immediately, Shuhua perked up at the sound of IDLE's new song, HWAA. The girls were performing on Music Core

 

"This was what you wanted to watch?"

 

"Yeah duh, what else? Soyeon unnie's song is soooo good. She's god."

 

A pillow was flung into the side of Yuqi's head, knocking the girl over. "Then why the hell were we fighting for if we're gonna watch the same thing?!"

 

Her best friend whines were cut off with a simple threat: "Shut up or I'll tell Soyeon about that one time I caught you kissing a photocard of her."

 

Shuhua had to stifle a laugh when Yuqi widened her eyes comically, her mouth turning into a straight line.

 

Directing her attention back to the TV screen, Shuhua's eyes drifted to Miyeon. The main vocalist was dressed in a stunning black and red dress which fitted her so well. Her hair flowed elegantly as she danced and Shuhua thought that the choreography matched the song amazingly and she wondered how it would feel like to be slapped by Miyeon's luscious locks.

 

Yeh Shuhua that's gross!

 

Large doe eyes, the smell of toasted marshmallows, Miyeon was a lot of things to Shuhua. She was warm, kind, a little dumb and sometimes annoying. But it was during times like this when Miyeon was busy with work that Shuhua would really miss her unnie.

 

Stupid unnie hasn't even texted me in 3 days!

 

Shuhua shakes her head. Now she's just sounding like an obsessed girlfriend. Wait. She meant girl friend.

 

Groaning to herself, Shuhua flops first face into the couch pillow.

 

I'm going insane.

 

----------

 

It was quiet the following day in the cafe. The constant typing of a keyboard by a University student seated in a cozy corner was tuned out like white noise as Shuhua lazed about at the counter.

 

She felt like hell. Watching dramas till 5 in the morning knowing she was on shift was definitely a mistake. That being said, she'd probably do it again some other day because that's how she is.

 

She scrolled through Twitter absentmindedly, liking a bunch of IDLE (mainly Miyeon) related content and convincing herself that it was just to stay awake.

 

The ringing of the doorbell went unheard by the tired pale beauty. And so did the sound of footsteps towards the counter.

 

"Oohh I like her too," a husky voice points out as Shuhua was looking at a gif of Miyeon during a live stage of HWAA.

 

"Right? She's so pretty," Shuhua replies but then something clicks and she realises that she was supposed to be working. "Sorry! What would you li-" looking up, she came face to face with the most beautiful pair of eyes, ones that she greatly missed.

 

"Miyeon unnie?!" she slammed her phone face down onto the counter. "Wh-what are you doing here?" Shuhua giggled nervously.

 

Aw shit

 

The singer reached out and poked Shuhua's cheeks. "To see you of course!"

 

Miyeon told her that she had a couple of hours to spare today so she figured she could spend some time with Shuhua. The Taiwanese also learned that Yuqi told the singer about her schedule and her "best friend" didn't even bother to warn her. Damn you Song Yuqi.

 

"I'll chill here for abit. Can I have an iced latte?"

 

Nodding, Shuhua took the money from Miyeon's hand, blushing lightly as their fingers brushed against each other. While she was working the POS system, her view was suddenly obscured by a...post-it that was pasted on her forehead.

 

The Taiwanese turned to face Miyeon, the post-it still stuck on her forehead and Miyeon couldn't help but laugh. The melodious sound of her laughter made Shuhua's insides tingle in a weird wholesome kind of way.

 

Tearing the post-it off her forehead, Shuhua reads "things you want to buy".

 

"I'm not gonna tell you. I know you'll buy it for me." she shakes her head.

 

Miyeon pouts and Shuhua almost cusses at how it made her heart skip a beat. "But you owe me! You promised, remember? Yeh Shuhua, are you a liar?"

 

"That's not fair!"

 

"Honey, when you're older you'll know that life isn't fair." Miyeon doesn't know where that nickname came from but seeing Shuhua's face turning a light shade of pink made her grin.

 

"Besides, I want to give you something you can keep." she said, biting her bottom lip shyly.

 

Trying to hide her flustered state, Shuhua did what she does best. Be a brat. "Unnie, you're only 3 years older. Stop acting like a hag."

 

"Fine, just don't...don't spend too much." she says while shooing the older girl away who gave her a thumbs up while skipping towards a table.

 

-----------

 

A tray was placed in front of Miyeon.

 

"Ma'am, I didn't order this." the older girl points to the cake beside her iced latte.

 

Shuhua rolls her eyes, "Just shut up and eat it. You look too skinny nowadays...eat more." she mumbled while avoiding eye contact with the singer.

 

Miyeon beams, feeling warmth throughout her body despite the cold weather. "Is this because I'm so pretty?" she teases, emphasising the last two words as she picks up a fork.

 

The Taiwanese wants to smack her upside the head for being so smug but she wasn't one to back down. Leaning in, Shuhua gently tucks a stray hair behind the singer's ears and whispers. "Yea, you're so pretty."

 

She hears the fork clatter on the table.

 

The younger girl leans back, taking a second to memorise and imprint Miyeon's stunned expression into her mind. The older girl looked like a cartoon character - eyes wide open and mouth agape in shock.

 

Chuckling, Shuhua spins around and heads back to the counter. "I needa do some stuff, I'll be back later."

 

Score.

 

----------

 

After her embarrassing defeat, Miyeon looked down at the tray to see a napkin scribbled with words.

 

"Something to keep me warm ><"

 

She pockets the napkin with a smile. Cute.

 

"Unnie I'm back! Tell me all about your comeback." the younger girl yells as she skips over.

 

The girls chit-chatted for awhile until Miyeon received a call from her manager and excused herself with a scowl on her face. She promised that she'd see Shuhua soon and laughed again when the younger nagged at her to eat her meals properly.

 

It was comfortable being with each other and Shuhua thinks that she wouldn't mind doing this everyday.

 

----------

 

The doors to the cafe were pushed open dramatically by a panting Yeh Shuhua.

 

"I made it!"

 

"Yes, you made it 10 minutes late. Helped another pretty girl who fell again?" quipped Chorong with a cheeky smile on her face.

 

"Ahh unnie it's not like that." the younger girl complained while tugging on her boss' sleeves.

 

Chorong gave her a light pat on her head as she walked past. "There's something for you in a brown bag below the counter."

 

"Huh? Oh okay." she walked towards the counter, wondering if one of her classmates had left her some school notes.

 

Shuhua peered into the bag and found a beige-brown scarf. She pulled out the scarf and held it infront of her, admiring the little details. There were two little patches sewed onto the bottom of scarf - a wolf and a crocodile. They were small enough to not look too out of place on the scarf but Shuhua wouldn't have minded anyway because she thought they were pretty cute. Alongside the scarf was a...pair of crocodile patterned gloves that looked absolutely horrendous.

 

You're kidding me. There was no way she was putting on the abomination. For god's sake she was 20 years old!

 

There was also a note inside the bag.

 

Shuhua, here's a little something for you to stay warm! The wolf is you because you won't shut up about being a wolf and I'm the crocodile because I'm cute. I sewed it on myself! Aren't I cool?Use it well or I'll be sad. Wear it even during summer okay?

 

From your favourite Noodle Unnie

 

Since when were crocodiles considered cute? Shuhua wants to scoff but the growing smile on her face was stopping her.

 

"How cute. Maybe if you were on time, you woulda received your girlfriend's gift in person." Chorong says as she looks over Shuhua's shoulders.

 

Shuhua spun around so fast she almost had a whiplash. "Chorong unnie she's not my girlfriend!" the younger sputters with a heavy blush on her face.

 

Her boss scoffs, "Yea sure you aren't."

 

"Unnie!" Shuhua flung her hands up and stomped away to towards the changing room.

 

"You forgot your gift." Chorong yells while picking at her nails.

 

The younger girl turns back and snatches the brown bag off the counter before stomping away again.

 

----------

 

Shuhua wrapped her arms around her body as she walked to school with Yuqi. It was getting much colder in Seoul but despite that, she felt a special kind warmth as she wraps her new scarf tightly around her neck. It provided her with the comfort of a certain singer who had been on her mind. A presence that has been embedded into her life and Shuhua knew she was falling deep into the inescapable charms of Miyeon. She knows because she started finding crocodiles cute recently and she never though that would be possible.

 

Shuhua pulls the scarf up under her nose and breathes, secretly wishing that the scarf was stained with smell of Miyeon.

 

"Those look terrible." Yuqi grimaces at the hideous crocodile-patterned gloves.

 

"I know." Shuhua smiles while rubbing her hands together.

 

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hello yall. im so sorry for being so terribly slow and late :( school sucks and im interning too but my results came back more meh than i woulda liked so i felt terrible and decideed to distract myself by writing this chap. the next 2 chapters might be pretty short too bc my ideas r kinda jumbled up (i only have the last chap figured out tbh) but i think theyll definitely be out faster than this chapter. i hope u still rmb this story hahaha please enjoy. also, what is up with the mishu tag recently. its been so dead im sad HAHAHAH

Chapter 13: Things You Want to Eat (먹고 싶은)

Chapter Text

"Shu-shu, what's with the gloomy face?" a finger lightly pokes Shuhua's cheek. The younger girl looked like a deflated balloon. She was slouching with her head on the table staring absentmindedly at the wall.

A series of inaudible mumbles spilled out from the younger girl's mouth because her cheek was pressed against the table and her lazy speaking did nothing to help in articulating her words.

"Immmisssmyyhom anddddthefoooodthre......"

Miyeon being Miyeon, though, tried her best to decipher the mess. "You miss...myyhom? Mi...hommm...heom. MIYEON?! You miss me?" she exclaims as she jumps excitedly in her seat.

Despite the singer's enthusiasm at her apparent 'genius', the girl slouched beside her was not as amused and her self-celebration was stopped by a sharp pinch to her side.

Shuhua ignored the whines from the older girl but she figured that Miyeon wouldn't shut up unless she told her exactly. "I said," she sighs before continuing, "I miss my home and the food there." The Taiwanese pouts and Miyeon almost squeals at the adorable expression.

"Aww, the baby is homesick!" the singer cooed while patting Shuhua's head.

Shuhua shrugs her hand away, complaining that she wasn't a baby which only made Miyeon laugh more because of the way her cheeks were puffed up in the most non-threatening way ever.

Another pinch to her side made Miyeon yelp and the singer surrendered by raising her hands. "Alright alright, I'll stop!".

Satisfied with her reply, Shuhua repositions herself to lean on Miyeon's shoulder. Without much thought, Miyeon angles her neck so that Shuhua was comfortable, this motion done smoothly as if it was the most natural thing.

Miyeon's hand starts to stroke Shuhua's head softly, "Shuhua, what do you wanna eat? Why not we go on a food date." Suddenly, Miyeon's hand stops midway as she panics at her choice of words. Did she blurt out "date" by accident?

Oh shit oh shit

"Date?" Shuhua turns her head slightly so that she was looking up directly into Miyeon's eyes. She was so close, Miyeon was sure that if she had enough time, she could count each eyelash on the younger girl's face. This was dangerous, she could feel her heart racing at their close proximity.

Miyeon turned away quickly and faked a cough, "Uhm, well, yeah y'know. Because food is nice and uhm dates are also nice."

"Not that I've been on many dates of course! Because I'm as single as a pringle!" the singer gestures wildly as the tone of her voice rises.

Her rambling was cut short by the soft giggles coming from her side, the younger girl burying her face into the crook of her neck to muffle her laughter. She softens at the sight but she still couldn't shake off the embarrassment and she's sure she's redder than the picture Minnie sent her of a baboon's butt. Miyeon rolls her eyes internally at the thought of the caption that Minnie sent her along with the picture.

[yo cho ramyeon! check out this baboon's red ass butt! get it? ass butt? hehhehehe. this is what you look like whenever we call Shuhua your girlfriend]

The singer crosses her arms childishly and huffs out annoyedly, "Yah...it's not funny!"

Shuhua speaks after calming down from her laughter, "Unnie." She clears her throat and continues, "It won't be easy to find the food I want to eat to take me on a date y'know?"

There was a twinkle of mischief in her eye and Miyeon wasn't about to back down from a challenge. "Oh yea? Pfftt" she rummages through her back and pulls out a crumpled receipt from a bakery and a alligator patterned pen. She scribbles down something quickly as she speaks, "Write it all down for me." she slams both items down on the table confidently as if she wasn't having a mental breakdown just two seconds ago.

"things you want to eat" the crumpled receipt reads in a messy (but cute) handwriting. Shuhua picks up the pen in amusement and proceeds to write while shielding her words with her hand to prevent Miyeon from looking.

Miyeon raises her eyebrows, "Why are you even hiding? I'm gonna read it anyway." she points out. "Unnie, I don't need you to be smart with me right now." the younger girl shoots before shoving the piece of paper at Miyeon's face.

The singer snatches the paper from Shuhua and stares at it, confusion slowly building up when she realises that she can't read a single thing. "Wait a minute...it's all in Mandarin!! How am I supposed to read this?!" Miyeon points at the words exasperatedly.

"That sounds like a you problem."

Shuhua stood up and was gathering her stuff. Before the older girl could complain, she suddenly felt a warmth on her cheek as Shuhua softly turns her face so that they were facing each other directly. The singer's breath hitched when the younger girl leaned closer, her large doe eyes seemed to pull her in.

"I'll be looking forward to our date, Unnie." Shuhua taps the singer's cheek with her index finger. Still unable to process everything, Miyeon just nodded dumbfoundedly which made Shuhua snicker. The singer wasn't even sure if she actually heard Shuhua bid her goodbye because all she could hear was her own thundering heartbeat.

Did Shuhua just agree on a date with me?

Holy shit.



Fast-forward to a week later, Miyeon was running back and forth inside the dorm, making sure that everything was in place.

"Okay so this is the zong zi and then there's also that pork thingy..." Miyeon was mentally ticking off the checklist of food in her head. She had spent a good week trying to find the food that Shuhua wanted with the help of Yuqi who had translated the list for her. It wasn't difficult to get the Chinese girl to cooperate, Miyeon just had to tell her that she could get Soyeon to give her a lesson on songwriting. Which she suddenly remembers, she should tell Soyeon about it soon. Oops. It wasn't a big deal, she was sure that Soyeon wouldn't mind anyway, it was obvious that the tiny rapper had taken a liking to the boisterous Chinese girl.

It was currently 5:49pm, which meant that Shuhua would be arriving soon. Miyeon was nervous, it was a date after all. But wait, was this a date-date or was it a friendly-friend date? After that day, their interactions didn't change and Miyeon wondered if she was the only one overthinking everything. Whatever, she pushed that thought away for now and goes back to making sure that everything was perfect. Lucky for her, the other members kindly decided to go for a movie because they were "MiShu supporters".

Ding Dong!

She's here!

Miyeon rushes to the door and tidies her hair once more. Taking a deep breath, she opens the door and standing in front of her was the object of her all her affection. The Taiwanese was dressed in a simple brown one-piece dress and the only word to describe her appearance was "Sweet".

"Hello Miyeon Unnie." Shuhua tucks her hair behind her ear shyly.

"Hey" Miyeon clears her throat and says, "You look great." Scratching the back of her head awkwardly, she invites Shuhua in.

"You look pretty too, Unnie." the younger girl compliments before stepping into the dorm. This straight shot from Shuhua took Miyeon by surprise in a good way.

Even though Miyeon expected the dinner to be awkward, it started off surprisingly smooth.

Miyeon claps her hand, bringing attention to the food laid out on the table. "Alright, so first up! We have the zong zi! It took me a while to find it but there's nothing I can't do." Miyeon pats her own shoulder proudly.

The younger girl chuckles at her silliness and picks up the triangular dumpling, "Is this the sweet zong zi or the savoury one?"

The main vocalist's eyes widened upon hearing that question. "Uhm, there are different types?" She received a nod in response. "Well, I think this is the uhm 'original' version?" she scratches her head in uncertainty. Shuhua scoffs playfully as she unwraps the leaves of the zong zi, "There's no 'original' version. Who told you that? Don't tell me you went to Yuqi for help."

Laughing nervously as Shuhua takes a bite of the zong zi, Miyeon was praying that she got the right type. She carefully observed Shuhua's expression but the girl kept a straight face as she chewed on the glutinous rice.

"So....is it good?"

"Try it," a fork was shoved towards the singer and she allows herself to be fed by the younger girl. A blush creeps up her neck at this gesture. "This tastes sweet."

Shuhua hums in response as she continues chewing.

"Do you like the sweet ones?"

The younger girl stops chewing and looks at Miyeon who seemed to be awaiting her answer nervously. "I actually prefer the savoury type of zong zi."

Hearing this, Miyeon visibly deflates and Shuhua swears that she could see the bunny ears on the singer droop down.

"Stupid Yuqi...what 'original' type nonsense." the singer's muttering didn't go unheard by the younger girl in front of her.

Three light taps on her shoulder managed to gain Miyeon's attention. "Unnie, don't be upset." the singer turns and was met with Shuhua's adorable smile. One side of her cheeks was stuffed with rice, she looked just like a chipmunk and Miyeon had to resist the urge to pinch her cheeks.

"From now on," the Taiwanese pauses and lifts her gaze to look directly into Miyeon's eyes. "Whatever you give me will be my preference."

"Shuhua..." the singer trails off because she feels like her heart was about to burst so what should she do? Well, the best way to calm a heart (according to Miyeon) is to engulf the Taiwanese into a tight hug.

"Ah! Unnie! Get your paws off me-" Shuhua grumbles, halfheartedly pushing the singer, but the tiny curl of her lip gave her feelings away. It was cute how Miyeon worked so hard to prepare everything and she appreciated the effort.

With her arms already wrapped around Shuhua's neck, the singer pulls her into a headlock and ruffles her hair. "What do you mean paws?! I'll have you know I just got my nails manicured and my fans love my hands. I always see them crop pictures of my hands."

Satisfied with her revenge, she releases the younger girl and tidies her hair. "Come on, we're still on a date and I haven't even introduced you to the full menu yet. I don't think Yuqi let me down for the rest of them." she beams proudly.

The rest of the dinner date was filled with smiles, laughter and also hints of shyness. It was weird, Shuhua thinks, they've had dinner together many times but why did this feel different? Perhaps it was the shy glances that Miyeon would give when she thought Shuhua wasn't looking. Or maybe it was the fact that Miyeon's gaze has been different. Was it softer? She wasn't sure, but she knows that everytime Miyeon looks at her like that, a fuzzy feeling brews within her. A dark roast will have a stronger flavor because the longer the beans roast the richer the flavor gets. Similarly, the longer Shuhua spends time with Miyeon, this unknown feeling grows stronger. It was scary, but Shuhua wasn't in a rush to place a name on it. Just for a while, she wants to enjoy being in this space with her brightest star.

"Is this yummy? Elkie recommended it to me! Oh, you don't know her right-" the singer kept going on and on as she places different dishes into Shuhua's bowl.

The look of excitement on Miyeon's face was endearing and Shuhua thinks that she could be full just from the singer's loveliness.

"Miyeon Unnie,"

"Hmm?"

"Thank you."

"Anything for my beautiful date." she tries to wink (and fails) which drew out a string of laughter and jeers from Shuhua.



The singer insisted on bringing Shuhua back to her dorm because "how can I let my lovely date go back alone late at night?". Shuhua almost scoffs because she's pretty sure that the same goes for her but Miyeon promised that she would call her manager to pick her up.

The duo stops in front of Shuhua's dorm. The older girl was kicking at the dirt with her hands in her pocket and Shuhua almost laughs when she picks up Miyeon's reluctance to part with her for the night.

"Mi-"

"Shu-"

They both start at the same time. Shuhua giggles and signals for the older girl to continue. Clearing her throat, she starts "Uhm, did you have fun today?". She was met with a small smile and a cute nod. With the boost in confidence Miyeon reaches for Shuhua's wrist, tugging on her sleeve lightly "Then...can we do this again? Another date I mean."

"I'd love to."

The answer was short but it was all that was needed to make Miyeon's heart race. "Really?!" she rummages through her pocket and pulls out a sticky note. "This is the second last question you're supposed to answer." she says as she turns Shuhua's wrist upwards and places the sticky note into her palm.

"Goodnight Shu-" the singer stiffened when was suddenly wrapped in what was possibly the warmest hug ever. After getting over her initial shock, she hugged back softly. "Thank you, Unnie."

The embrace was too short for Miyeon's liking but she wasn't going to complain. How often does the brat show her affection like that?

Shuhua raises her eyebrow when she realises that Miyeon was still just standing in front of her. "Aren't you leaving?"

"I'll leave once I watch you go in." the singer beams and flashes a thumbs up. Shuhua shakes her head at the dorky smile directed at her. Heat rushes to her cheeks and she hopes that it was dark enough to hide her blushing face. "Ahh why are you being like this...okay I'll go now. Make sure to text me when you're home!" she spits out quickly before turning around and rushing into the dorm.

"Ya! Were you blushing?" Miyeon teases after her, grinning idiotically to herself.

"Shut up! I was not!" the Taiwanese shouts back without looking, afraid that her poor heart wouldn't be able to contain itself if she looked at her Unnie who was definitely smiling like a pretty doll.

This Unnie is going to the death of me, she thinks while clutching the sticky note in her hand tightly.


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/peeks around the corner/ uhm hehe hi? im sorryyyyyyy ive been procrastinating and tbh ive had trouble writing this fic as of late T.T running out of ideas but it's still supposed to end in 2 more chapters tho. for completeness sake. i wanna thank all of you who have been sticking around for so long despite my tardiness and lack of ideas. i really hope this story isnt becoming too unenjoyable T.T i promise i'l finish it!! just....need time and inspiration HAHAH. really thanks for sticking with me!! see yall (soon?)~

p.s. yes not proof-read. may edit major major mistakes later on idk.

Chapter 14: Places You Want to Go (가고 싶은)

Chapter Text

Shuhua stares at the sticky note that was placed on her desk. The cute handwriting which she has grown to adore was staring back at her.

The words "places you want to go" were neatly written on the green sticky note.

The Taiwanese thought for a moment before she picked up her pen which had a crocodile figure attached to the top. It was silly, really, the crocodile figure made the pen so heavy and it was truly a pain in the ass to write with. But Miyeon insisted that it was cute and that Shuhua had to use it. Shuhua rolled her eyes at the thought of the singer whining and making her promise to use the pen.

It was cute though.

Shuhua smiled.

 



"So, why did you want to come here?" asked the singer with her hands stuffed in her jeans.

The duo were currently strolling along the Han River.

The weather was getting much colder, both girls feeling the chills running through their body.

The younger girl shrugs, her cardigan slips off her shoulder slightly.

"I don't know. It's nice here, I guess. I like it."

"Mmhmm. You're right," the singer agrees as she casually reached out to pull up the Taiwanese's thick cardigan.

The younger girl mumbled a 'thank you' with a light blush at Miyeon's gentle(wo)manly act.

She really is as sweet as she looks.

Shuhua had been thinking a lot. About a certain singer who was strolling beside her peacefully. Despite being dressed in her usual cap and mask disguise, Shuhua still felt like she was the most beautiful person in the world.

“Hey Shu, let’s sit here for a while.” Miyeon said as she skipped towards a nearby bench and gave it a couple of light taps to beckon the younger girl over.

The singer leaned back into the bench.

“Y’know,” the older girl looks towards the river.

“I really like this place too. I used to always come here at night when I was a trainee.”

“Alone?”

“Mostly, but not all the time. Soojin likes taking walks too so I usually come with her.” Miyeon smiles fondly at the memory.

“Minnie’s weird because she always whines when we used to go without her, but she would decline every time we ask her to come.” The singer clicks her tongue.

“And Soyeon’s would rather work on music in that tiny studio of hers.”

Shuhua nods attentively at the older girl, her eyes tracing the features of the Korean beauty.

“But there are times when I just wanna be alone y’know? It was tough. Failed auditions, training….” The singer trails off in deep thought.

“Urgh. And having to constantly monitor our weight!” Miyeon huffs, her face scrunching in annoyance cutely and Shuhua had to control every fibre of her body to stop her from hugging the singer.

Miyeon glances at the ground, observing the leaves that were being blown away.

"So I would come here, alone. Just to escape for a moment."

"What do you do when you're here?"

"Sometimes, I just walk aimlessly. Or I just sit down when I'm tired. But sometimes I bring my guitar."

"You remember how amazing I was when I played it for you right?" the singer bragged childishly with a grin.

"Ugh. Get over yourself Unnie."

Miyeon throws her head back with a laugh.

"Well, yeah. I would play the guitar and sing to no one."

"It still feels so unreal that I am where I am today. There's so much more I need to do to be better."

The singer turns when she feels warmth on the back of her hand. The younger girl traces her thumb idly, humming to herself before looking back into the singer’s eyes.

“Thanks for telling me all these, Unnie. And if it counts for anything, I think you’re doing so well.” The younger girl smiles, slightly tightening her hold on the older girl’s hand to show that she means every word.

Miyeon could feel her heart swell at the action. The younger girl had been the object of her affection for a few months counting. She knows that she’s fallen deep for the Taiwanese. Not just because she’s the cutest thing ever (according to Miyeon) but there’s much more that words cannot simply express everything. Was she worried? Well, of course she was. Miyeon had always known that she’s pretty. Growing up, she would always be the center of attention. Confessions lined up for her, gifts piled up her locker during Valentine’s days, not that she was ever interested though. This feeling was new, she felt exhilarated every second she’s with the Taiwanese. But there was so much to think about – her career, her members, Shuhua’s personal life. Would it work out? She thought about it a lot but she was glad that she wasn’t alone.

“Guys, I have something to tell you”

“What is it, Unnie?”

“I’m sorry but I think I’m in love.”

“Have you confessed to Shuhua already?”

“No, I haven’t ye-”

“Wait, how did you know!”

A cushion was thrown her way which the singer narrowly avoided.

“Hey!”

Minnie rolls her eyes, “You’re so obvious. Have you seen the way you look at Shuhua? It’s like…uhm…it’s just gross okay.”

“Yea, and you’re always gushing about how cute Shuhua is as if we haven’t heard it a thousand times before.” Soojin points out nonchalantly.

“I mean, she is though!” Miyeon huffs in annoyance at being called out.

She feels a slight tug on her sleeve which made her turn toward the tiny leader who was clad in a large hoodie.

“Unnie, I know you’re probably worried about the group, about us.”

 Miyeon looks down, biting her lips nervously. “We’re still in the early years of our career, I know. I didn’t think that I’d fall for her like this. I-I don’t want to cause us any trouble. I’m sorry, I don’t know why it just happened-”

A pull and suddenly Miyeon was engulfed in a hug, the smell of Soyeon’s perfume following. “Don’t be silly Unnie. I’m happy for you. I’m happy that you can feel this way. Don’t be sorry for being in love.”

A sudden force caused the two girls to stumble a bit as two more pairs of arms wrapped around them in a sloppy movement.

“The maknae is right! We’re happy for you Miyeon ah.” Minnie squeezes her hug tighter.

“Don’t worry, Unnie. It’ll be fine.” Soojin says softly.

“Guys…you’re gonna make me cry. Is it really okay?” Miyeon asks, her voice choking up slightly from her members’ supportive words.

“Of course it is. If anyone at the company tries anything, I’ll threaten them by not making songs anymore.”

“And I’ll cry and play piano outside the President’s office every day.” The Thai grins widely.

“We’ll support you all the way, Unnie.”

Despite Minnie’s stupid way of helping, Miyeon couldn’t help but burst out in tears at their supportiveness.

“Tha-thank you everyone. I love you all.” Miyeon says in between her sobs.

“Tell that to Shuhua.” Soojin snickers teasingly at the older girl which made Soyeon and Minnie erupt in laughter.

“Ya! Why do you guys always have to ruin the mood!”

 

 

“Shuhua, I have something to tell you.”

 


lmao im so sorry for being the worst author ever. i had to go back to read this story to rmb what rubbish i wrote >.>

this is why u should always plan your stories before u write em bc i had such a hard time thinking of smth to write and im not even satisfied with this. but i figured i should at least give this story a proper ending bc i always feel sad when an ongoing story i read is not completed

thank you if youre somehow still reading cart. i really appreciate it and i truly promise that i will finish this very soon, only one more chapter to go. but if no one is reading anymore, i'll still complete it HAHAHA it's a promise to myself!

 

Chapter 15: What You Want to Be (되고 싶은 바랬던 그게)

Chapter Text

"Shuhua, I have something to tell you."

Shuhua squeezes Miyeon's hand lightly, signalling that she's listening.

"What is it, Unnie?"

Miyeon swallows her saliva, the gears in her head churning, formulating the best way to spill her feelings.

Maybe she should have thought this through before declaring that she had something to say.

But the show must go on, she's already started anyway.

"The past few months have been amazing."

"And that's because I've met you." Miyeon says while looking at her lap, still slightly conscious of her words.

At this point, Shuhua knows what's coming. She's young, she's inexperienced, but she's not dumb. Her relationship with Miyeon wasn't just a "best friend" thing.

Shuhua is aware of the looks that Miyeon gives her when she thinks she isn't looking. Shuhua is aware of the effort that Miyeon puts in just to spend some time with her despite IDLE's hectic schedules.

Shuhua lets herself anticipate what Miyeon was about to say. She lets herself hope.

Under the vast sky, with barely anyone around, the atmosphere felt strangely intimate.

Miyeon plays with hem of her shirt, trying to calm her nerves. She's never done this before, used to being at the receiving end of confessions.

"So, what I'm trying to say is that uhm I'm happy that I have met you because you make me feel...happy."

Shuhua could hear the nervousness in Miyeon's voice and she almost wants to make fun of the singer for it. But she herself is shaking, her heart hammering against her chest at Miyeon's words.

Miyeon breathes deeply before she turns towards Shuhua suddenly, clasping their hands together in a burst of confidence.

"I like you. A lot. I like you a lot."

"Unnie..."

"I'm inexperienced and I have lots to learn when it comes to love."

The older girl tightens her grip on Shuhua's hand. The younger girl's presence provides a sense of comfort, knowing that she's there and listening to her shy and messy declaration.

"My job requires me to be someone's ideal. I'm watched closely, expected to be at my best image the whole time. There are things I'm not supposed to do right now. But it happened anyway."

Shuhua listens closely, her heart racing at the singer's words.

"Falling for you wasn't part of the plan," Miyeon chuckles lightly, "but it was so natural to love you."

"Are you sure that it's okay for you to tell me this?" the younger girl asks.

She knows exactly what her heart wants of course. Likewise, it was so natural to fall in love with the older girl.

Miyeon only smiles in response, Shuhua was always so considerate.

She loosens her grip on Shuhua's hands. She's sure that the younger girl could feel how sweaty her palms were getting from the nerves that were building up within her. Then, she pats her knees, pretending to dust off some imaginary dirt while subtly drying her palms. The singer stands up and takes a tiny step forward before whipping her head around to look at Shuhua.

"I thought about this for a long time, I just had to tell you what I feel. My heart feels like it's about to burst everytime I'm with you."

Me too, Unnie.

The singer reaches into her pocket, pulling out a crumpled sticky note. Shuhua isn't even sure if it could be called a "sticky" note still, considering how it seems to barely stick on Miyeon's palm.

"I don't expect anything from you. You don't need to do anything about this...heart of mine."

Miyeon reaches for Shuhua's hand again, gently pulling Shuhua's fingers to open her hand. Miyeon places the crumpled sticky note on Shuhua's palm and closes it. Her own hand lingering on the younger girl's before pulling away.

"So don't worry about anything."

"Anyway, that's the last one.You can read it."

Shuhua unravels the crumpled paper to reveal the words.

What you want to be.

"I didn't really know what else to ask you anymore but I guess I thought I could just find out a little more about you. Your dreams, whatever you wanted to be. And I'll do my best to help you too." Miyeon says as she shuffles around, shifting the weight of her body from feet to feet.

Shuhua didn't really know what to say and how to start. So much happened and her mind was a mess.

Miyeon Unnie likes me...oh my god.

Miyeon clears her throat and pulls the scarf around her neck tighter, trying to hide her reddening cheeks.

"Anyway, I'm really shy right now so maybe let's go." She pulls Shuhua to her feet before quickly walking ahead. "Uhm, come on."

Shuhua wants to laugh because the singer who's always confident and playful has now turned into a shy little puppy.

She's almost cuter than Haku and Mata.

Shuhua has made up her mind.

Before chasing after Miyeon, she swiftly grabbed her alligator pencil from her bag and jotted something down on the back of the crumpled sticky note. She shoved the pencil away once she was done and jogged towards the silhouette of the singer. "Unnie! Wait for me!"



The walk back wasn't awkward but both girls felt flustered.

Stupid Miyeon! That was so unsmooth of you!

The singer groans, feeling like she ruined her confession.

Shuhua was still trailing a few steps behind Miyeon, trying to gather her thoughts and also because she thought it was funny to see Miyeon grumble infront of her.

Miyeon has done a lot for her. She was Shuhua's support from the very moment they met and she knows that she loves Miyeon.

They were walking for about five minutes and it was starting to get both colder and darker.

Okay, the third lamp post from now is where I'm gonna do it.

One

Two


Shuhua increases her pace, closing the gap between Miyeon and her.

Three

Shuhua lets out a deep breath.

"Unnie,"

Miyeon spins around, shyness still written on her face. "Yea?"

"I've written my reply to your last question."

"Oh that's fast. You wanna show me now?"

Shuhua nods and she stretches her hand out, beckoning Miyeon closer.

"What I want to be. That's the question right?"

The singer nods.

"I'm still young. Everyday, I'm discovering new things about myself and others."

"There are many things I don't know yet. Like what do I really want to do in the future. How many puppies will I have ten years from now."

Miyeon raises her hand, "If you're having a hard time choosing, I think three puppies sounds good."

Shuhua rolls her eyes, "That's not the point Unnie. And you're only saying that because it's your favourite number."

Miyeon smiles sheepishly at that.

"Anyway, what I'm trying to say is that there are many things about myself that I'm not sure of yet."

"But there are also things that I'm sure of. Like how I'll always have a good time when I'm spending it with you.

Shuhua reaches out for Miyeon's hands, placing the crumpled note in her palms before continuing her speech.

"If you're okay with it, I would love if you can continue being here with me as we navigate through life together."

Shuhua gently releases her grip on Miyeon's hand.

On the front of the sticky note, Miyeon spots her own handwriting.

What you want to be.

Miyeon flips the sticky note over, revealing Shuhua's reply.

There was only one word scribbled.

Yours.

"Yeh Shuhua.." The singer mutters, completely caught off guard by Shuhua's honest confession.

Then, Miyeon breaks the most beautiful and radiant smile Shuhua has ever witnessed.

I'm so lucky.

Miyeon didn't cry because why would she cry when she's supposed to be happy? So she smiles, and she laughs, making fun of herself for worrying so much just now.

"Yeh Shuhua, there will be no take-backs. Are you sure?"

The younger girl shivers, from the cold and her nervousness. "Yes, Unnie."

Miyeon notices the Taiwanese's lack of proper warm clothing and unwraps her scarf, placing it around Shuhua's neck.

"Oh, thank you Unn-"

A sharp pull of the scarf causes Shuhua to stumble forward as she lets out a soft squeak of surprise.

The gap between the two of them has reduced to the width of a mere piece of paper. Shuhua's eyes widened at their sudden closeness, feeling extremely conscious of being so close to her biggest crush. She was so close that she could count each eyelash on Miyeon's pretty face if she wanted to.

Or....she's so close that she could just lean in and...

Shuhua feels a pair of soft lips on her own.

Oh.

She kisses back.

It was everything she imagined. The singer's lips felt incredibly soft, she could taste her lip gloss - strawberries. Shuhua hates strawberries but it somehow tastes sweeter when its paired with Miyeon's lips. But she'll probably get Miyeon to change her lip gloss later on. She's thinking lychee.

They break apart when Shuhua needs to catch her breath. The Taiwanese was gasping while Miyeon looked completely okay, perks of being a main vocalist with amazing lung capacity.

Miyeon was grinning so much that her eyes turned into crescent moons, her dimples showing.

"I'll grant you your wish."

The singer waves her finger around, mimicking a magician, making silly sound effects to fit the theme as well.

"You'll be mine now." Miyeon taps the tip of Shuhua's nose childishly, completing her 'spell'.

Shuhua burst out in laughter at her silly antics.

"Miyeon Unnie, didn't you know? The spell won't work if its missing a step!"

"Hmm? What is it?" Miyeon raises a perfectly trimmed eyebrow.

Shuhua leans in again and places a kiss on the corner of Miyeon's lips.

"There, the spell is sealed now."

Miyeon throws her head back at Shuhua's adorable display and engulfs her in a hug.

They stay there for awhile, just basking in the presence of each other, swaying under the yellow glow of the 'third lamp post'.

"Hey Shuhua,"

"Yes, Unnie?"

"Aren't you glad I literally fell for you that day?"

Shuhua groans and lightly pushes the singer away, "Oh shut up Unnie."

Miyeon pouts, "Come on! That was a good one!"

"You're lucky I love you."

"Very lucky." Miyeon agrees, kissing Shuhua on the cheek.

 


Extremely sorry for the delay. I must admit that I planned to finish this story like 3 years ago but I have commitment issues HAHAHAHA.

Thank you to those who stuck around and encouraged me. Writing is not something I do often and I'm definitely not great at it lol. I just wanted to fill my own mishu desires bc we always lack fics in the mishu tag.

anyway, thanks for reading and sorry once again! leave me a comment talk to me i am bored